The Legend of the Wandering Pair from Vault 101
by Nave Ninja
Summary: Lloyd Freeman is joined by Amata Almodovar as they leave the safety of the halls of Vault 101 in search of his missing father, stepping into the broken world above. Along their grim path, they encounter harsh adversity and new enemies every step of the way, forge new alliances and meet new friends, and through their actions, they come to change the Capital Wasteland forever.
1. Growing up Fast, So Very Fast

**War. War never changes.**

**Since the dawn of humankind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything, from God, to justice, to simple psychotic rage.**

**The Romans waged war to gather slaves and wealth. Spain built an empire from its lust for gold and territory. Hitler shaped a battered Germany into an economic superpower.**

**War never changes.**

**The end of the world occurred pretty much as we had predicted: too many humans, not enough space or resources to go around. The details are trivial and pointless, the reasons, as always, were purely human ones. In the year 2077, after millennia of armed conflict, the destructive nature of man could sustain itself no longer. The earth was nearly wiped clean of life in a great cleansing, an atomic spark struck by human hands, that quickly raged out of control. Spears of nuclear power rained from the skies. The world was plunged into an abyss of radioactivity and rage. Continents were swallowed in flames and fell beneath the boiling oceans. Humanity was almost extinguished, their spirits becoming part of the background radiation that blanketed the earth.**

**But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simply the prologue to another bloody chapter in human history.**

**For man had succeeded in destroying the world, but war? War never changes.**

**The capital of the United States of America, Washington D.C., was before the war a shining example of society. But in the earliest hours of the Great War, it was reduced to a hollow, radioactive shell of its former self. The land was saturated by the fallout from countless bombs, poisoning its ground and waters. Monuments from the greatest and most inspiring moments of American history were either lost or forever scarred. The seat of the American government was nearly completely annihilated, and for two centuries the D.C. ruins have sat, bleached by the sun and covered with ash.**

**For the people of what is now the Capital Wasteland, life is suffering. Raiders, mutants and wild animals pick off those who stray from the safe regions of the few civilizations that have risen from the ashes. Food and clean water are commodities that the people fight and die for every day. A race of monster men, the super mutants, preys on humans relentlessly, capturing and carrying them off to unknown locations. There are few capable of fighting this menace.**

**The Brotherhood of Steel, led by the sympathetic and noble Elder Owyn Lyons, have fought to protect the people of the Capital Wasteland for over twenty years. These knights and paladins, clad in power armor and wielding technologically advanced weaponry, strike out at the super mutant threat from their seat of power: the Citadel, set within the ruins of the Pentagon.**

**But their efforts, although noble, have had little success. A portion of their own kind, dissatisfied with the choices of Elder Lyons, split off from the Brotherhood, choosing instead to focus on the Brotherhood's original goals for being in the region: the acquisition of advanced pre-war technology. These Outcasts, as those loyal to Lyons labeled them, have established themselves in Fort Independence. They fiercely search the D.C. ruins for technology, disregarding anything (and anyone) else as a waste of their time.**

**The super mutants, brutish and of unknown origin and number, have posed a constant threat to all who inhabit the Capital Wasteland. For years, they have haunted the nightmares of those they hunt and have overrun the D.C. ruins. These large, unintelligent hulks and their mutated abominations have waged war unending for control over the Capital Wasteland. They have not succeeded. Yet.**

**The Capital Wasteland, like so many other places, is home to war unending. And yet, underneath its lifeless soil, a different story is told. In the early days, thousands had been spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters known as vaults. But when they emerged, they had only the hell of the wastes to greet them. Their inhabitants set out across ruins of the old world to build new societies, establish new villages and form new tribes. **

**All except for those in Vault 101, tucked away in the center of the Capital Wasteland. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Vault 101 slid closed, and never reopened.**

**Throughout its steel corridors, the propaganda of its controlling Overseer can be seen and heard. "It is here you are born. It is here you will die."**

**Because in Vault 101, no one ever enters... and no one ever leaves.**

* * *

Lloyd was born an unremarkable child in the year 2258, on the thirteenth of July, to the parents of James and Catherine Freeman, two talented scientists, doctors and very caring individuals. Though both were well trained in medical matters, unforeseen complications arose from Lloyd's birth, and tragically, not long afterwards, Catherine died of cardiac arrest. James was doomed to raise their only child alone. Having love only for his late wife, he never remarried or sought another partner.

Lloyd was raised by James in the comfort of Vault 101, where he had been born. To his father, Lloyd was nothing but the greatest gift a man could ever ask for. James loved his son, and was proud of even the smallest of his achievements. Walking at one year of age, unlocking his playpen door and even flipping through books, obviously not reading or understanding what a book was, but just copying the behavior of his father. James loved the boy more than anything, and strived give him a good life, despite the adversities they faced living life underground.

James taught everything he could to his beloved son. As he grew, Lloyd learned medicine, math, chemistry and a wide variety of subjects from his father, more than he learned in school, which gave him something of an edge over his peers. As the foremost figure in Lloyd's life, James' traits reflected in his son: honesty, dignity, integrity and a bit of a dry, sarcastic wit.

In childhood, James would always make it a point to read to his son from any of the books he had available. Sometimes they were childish works of fancy, comic books or historic non-fiction. In particular, he loved reading to the child Catherine's favorite passage from the bible, Revelation 21:6, a quote he had framed in his office.

"_I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."_

James was the head physician of the vault. The Overseer of Vault 101, the stern Alphonse Almodovar, appointed him this position. As a scientist and doctor both, James quickly became an important figure in 101. Yet, he didn't always see eye-to-eye with the Overseer. James was often free-thinking and idealistic, whereas his counterpart Alphonse was narrow-sighted and strict. Their differing ideals often caused them to erupt into fierce debate, but never did these encounters turn violent. Both thought very little of the other.

The people of the vault knew James, and trusted him. They looked to him as a protector of life, as every doctor is in a way. Each family entrusted him with the health of themselves and their children, but the Overseer sometimes found it a struggling battle to maintain their absolute faith. His strict nature often precluded their opinions, and a number of the policies instituted under his reign were met with open protest. The vault security force, utterly loyal to him, kept people in line, though very rarely was physical force ever actually required.

While the two adults often did not get along on the best of terms, their children seemed destined to live out the opposite of their parent's grudging rivalry. Alphonse only had one child, Amata, a cheery and happy little girl. Amata's mother died of a sickness two years after she was born. Because there weren't too many children of their age in the vault, the two became good friends as they matured. Lloyd and Amata shared a similar experience, growing up without a mother, and this became a staple in their growing friendship.

Amata was a rebel to her father's strict nature. She laughed, she played and she skipped down the steel corridors even as her father called out to her to stop. To make her father frown in frustration was all too easy for young Amata. She was a free spirit in her youth, untamed and pure. As she matured, this manifested in an inquisitive and caring nature displayed by her outspokenness.

Lloyd was a little bit different. Quiet most of the time, yet very well-spoken and polite when he was inclined to speak. His father was a noble man, and this trait reflected very clearly in the boy, as he was always doing what he thought was the best thing to do. Sometimes this pseudo-heroic tendency landed him in trouble, teaching him harsh lessons about ego and bravado. He wasn't selfish or stuck-up, but rather honest and kind.

Lloyd took after his father in more ways than one. As he neared the age of sixteen, he already resembled his father at his age in a number of ways. Tall, with bright green eyes and dark brown hair, he was turning out to be a spitting image of his father when he was younger. His father sported a prominent, closely-cut and well-kept beard and Lloyd knew soon he would be growing facial hair as well. Lloyd was also growing very intelligent like his father. Good with computers, medicine and repairing equipment he was turning out to be a chip off the old block. James was proud of his son, and spent as much time with him as he could; educating him in subjects school didn't cover, giving him an edge in some of his courses.

When Lloyd was ten years old, his birthday party came and went, as do all others, with a few small gifts and good memories. His personal favorite gift, however, was a hidden shooting range his father had built with the help of his assistant, Jonas Palmer. Tucked away in a corner of the reactor level, it sported three crude targets on the ends of metal poles. On that day, James gave the child a BB gun he had repaired, about which Lloyd couldn't have been more ecstatic to try out. Since that day he had grown into quite a crack shot with it, a feat he was very proud of, though boasted to none. If the Overseer ever learned of such a shooting range, he'd have it melted down for scrap.

Lloyd was born before Amata by just a few months. In the vault, all children shared school classes and were encouraged to get to know each other. Their education consisted of a variety of subjects, covering biology, pre-war history, physics, anatomy, mathematics, literature and other studies. While their development was carefully monitored and sometimes guided by the adults, namely their primary teacher Edwin Brotch, they were allowed to follow up on subjects which personally interested them.

And so, when the day came that his son had to take the G.O.A.T., the test that would determine where his son's future job in the vault would be, James was adamant about getting his son to succeed and get a good career to secure the rest of his life in the vault.

Lloyd, in contrast, was unenthused about the G.O.A.T. As his father was checking up on him in his medical office, they spoke. He set his instruments aside and looked at the boy sitting on the patient bench.

"As far as I can tell, you're a perfectly healthy sixteen-year-old boy. So yes, you need to go to class and take your G.O.A.T. exam," James told him, setting aside another medical instrument. He pointed towards the door. "Go on now; you've got a test to take."

Lloyd sighed, "If you say so, dad."

James' voice grew slightly stern. "Hey, it's not my call. Those are the rules. You're sixteen now, so this year you've got to take the G.O.A.T." He caught his son rolling his eyes and James sighed. "Come on, it's not so bad. Everyone has to go through with it. You'll do just fine."

Lloyd looked back up at his father. "Anything I need to know about the test, pop?" he asked.

James folded his arms. "The Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test is something everyone here in the vault takes it when they're sixteen," he said, accentuating 'everyone.' "Helps to figure out what sort of a job you'll have here in Vault 101 when you get a bit older. So, pay attention and try not to fall asleep this time."

Lloyd nodded his promise. He had some trouble staying awake in class occasionally. Usually, it was because they were learning or reviewing things he already knew about, not that that excuse earned him any favors from his teacher or fellow students.

"You know what they say, son: 'We're born in the vault, we die in the vault. Each is tested in their abilities, so that they may work towards the betterment of all vault residents.' Sound familiar?"

"Vaguely," Lloyd responded sarcastically. It was only one of the only things the Overseer chants on the intercom. He paused for a moment, and then quietly spoke up, "Dad, do we have to die in the vault? Can't we ever leave?"

James frowned. "That's not the way it works, and it won't do you any good to go around asking questions like that, especially not around the Overseer or any of his men. He already breathes down my neck enough. He won't let me medically examine his daughter without being present, eliminating any doctor-patient confidentiality. Frustrating, is all."

Lloyd nodded once more and averted his eyes. James got a sympathetic look in his eyes, unfolfed his arms and placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder.

"I want to tell you something now. It's important, so listen closely..." Lloyd looked up and met his father's gaze. "This place, this... vault. It isn't perfect, I know. But it is your home. You're safe here. Stay inside and you always will be, understand? You need to appreciate all that you have here."

Lloyd could only look at his father.

"Because, what's up there... on the outside... that's not the life I want for you. And it's not what your mother wanted for you, either."

Lloyd asked, "Do you know what it's like up there?"

For a moment, James had a faraway look in his eyes. He looked past Lloyd to see if his door was shut before speaking. He crossed his arms. "No… Not really. But it can't be better than what's down here."

"There's no hope for leaving?"

"That's what the Overseer says, isn't it? He's not about to let anybody out or in so I guess that's how it'll have to be. You're here now, and it's a hell of a lot better than being up there. All your mother and I ever wanted was for you to be safe. And you're safe here."

Lloyd wanted to ask about just how certain his father was about how dangerous it was on the surface. He looked to the left, seeing a specific framed quote on the wall. He heard his father's voice in his head, reading it aloud as he had heard a hundred times in his youth.

"_I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."_

"Hey dad... can we talk about, you know... mom?"

That seemed to surprise James. "Your mother?" Lloyd nodded. "She... she was beautiful. But beyond beauty you've seen... there's just only so much those old photographs can show." Lloyd listened as his father grew silent for a moment. "She was passionate... about life, about love. But most of all... most of all she was passionate about you. When she became pregnant, it was the happiest I had ever seen her. Ah... she had great things in mind for you."

Lloyd smiled and nodded, wishing he could have known her. Her absence was always a defining feature of his life, akin to a void he couldn't define but knew was there. He had long ago resigned to knowing that he would never be able to fill it.

James waited another moment before clearing his throat. "So it's time to stop stalling and take the exam. Please, son, please take these achievement tests seriously. The last thing I need is for your mother's ghost to start haunting me because her only son became a, a garbage burner or something."

Lloyd winced slightly, but nodded. "Bye, dad."

"Good luck, son."

Lloyd stood and stretched a little, and took a moment to check his Pip-Boy 3000, the wrist-mounted computer he had received on his tenth birthday. Standard issue in the vaults, the Pip-Boys were a product of RobCo Industries. It could interface with all compatible technology, including computers and robots, all the while maintaining a readout on its user's health and vitals. A number of handy features accompanied it, including a radio and GPS.

On his calendar for the day, Lloyd noted the G.O.A.T.'s entry and sighed for one final time. 'Time to face the test and just get it over with, Lloyd,' he thought to himself. 'Can't be that bad.'

As he left the clinic, he noticed James' assistant Jonas helping a sickened Stanley Armstrong, an important technician in the vault. Lloyd knew Stanley well; it was he who had actually fixed up the Pip-Boy which now resided upon Lloyd's left forearm. "Hope you get better soon, Stan!" Lloyd called out as he left. Stanley nodded and coughed.

As Lloyd approached the classroom, he noticed Amata. Sixteen like himself and looking good, with pretty features and clean, dark hair that she tied behind her head. Her visage always managed to make him smile, since she had been such a positive person in his life. Unfortunately, Lloyd wasn't the only one who thought she looked nice.

Butch DeLoria and his friends, Wally Mack and Paul Hannon Jr., all wearing their signature leather jackets with the logo of their "gang," the Tunnel Snakes, emblazoned on the back. They wore their jackets over their vault jumpsuits. It certainly made them stand out among the civilians inside Vault 101. They had surrounded Amata, despite her protests, and were making lewd comments. One of which being, as Lloyd could hear as he approached, "I could you a _real_ Tunnel Snake, Amata," a gem from the perverted mind of Butch, the leader of the Tunnel Snakes.

Lloyd felt his anger rising, but kept his cool. He approached. "Hey, Butch," he called out from a few yards away to get his attention.

Butch turned his head, his slick, oily hair glinting in the fluorescent light. He was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. "Yeah? The hell do you want, wimp?

Briefly making eye contact with Wally, Paul and most importantly Amata, he looked back to Butch. "What's going on here?" Lloyd asked.

"None of your business, kid. Get out of here before you get hurt." Butch cast a look at this two lackeys. They were cracking their knuckles in anticipation. Lloyd didn't back down; he knew how to handle this situation. In the back of his mind, a plan formed. "If you mess with the Tunnel Snakes, you're asking for trouble, and it's not the kind of trouble you want. Got that?" Butch said, still leaning back and acting casual, displaying his usual tough-guy bravura.

Lloyd got close and spoke silently to enhance his point and make Butch listen. "If you don't leave Amata alone, right now, the Overseer is going to come down on your gang. We'll see to it personally." He looked to Amata, who was looking back at him, wide-eyed. She was afraid Butch might attack him for threatening him so blatantly and openly.

But Lloyd knew better. He knew Butch was a coward at heart, relying on physical threats and shying away from any administrative action. His family had a history of trouble with the Overseer's office. Butch's eye quivered slightly as he kept staring Lloyd down.

After a moment, he said softly, "Maybe you're right." He stood up. "C'mon Tunnel Snakes, this little bitch isn't worth our time," he spat out indignantly. They reluctantly agreed and followed him into the classroom. After a moment, it was only Lloyd and Amata in the hallway. She breathed a quick sigh of relief, both at being out of the situation and at the fact that it was resolved without violence. "Thank god that's over..." she muttered.

Lloyd turned to face her. "You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. They didn't lay a hand on me," Amata told him. Lloyd nodded and smiled. "Listen... Thanks for getting rid of those assholes."

"No problem. I know how to talk my way out of a bad situation." Lloyd said, a hint of arrogance drifting into his tone. Amata cocked an eyebrow.

"Is that bragging I hear?" she asked, a smile gracing her face.

"Not at all, merely... harmless self-recognition of improvised talent," he replied.

Amata chuckled and shook her head. "Thanks again. I don't know why they won't leave me alone. I think they just do it because they're frustrated with the administrative arm of the vault, like pestering me is some way to spit at my father without having the guts to do anything more dangerous. Idiots. Hope Butch ends up as a garbage burner."

Lloyd silently agreed. He nodded his head in the direction of the classroom, and they walked in side-by-side. Mr. Brotch, their teacher, was telling people to sit down. Lloyd took his seat at the head of the class on the right-hand side. Brotch explained a few of the rules of the test as he passed out the papers to each row. He administered the exam by asking each question accompanied by a slideshow demonstrating each of its hypothetical scenarios.

Early on, Lloyd detected certain oddities with the test, to say the least. The questions were strange, all multiple-choice, and none of the answers seemed to conform to what Lloyd would really do in the situation they presented. By the third question, Lloyd had given up on any notion that this test was actually to be taken seriously. He put random marks on all the questions except for the last, which concerned who was "indisputably the most important person in Vault 101: he who shelters us from the harshness of the atomic wasteland, and to whom we owe everything we have, including our lives?" to which every answer was "the Overseer."

Lloyd refused to dignify that ridiculous propaganda with an answer.

One by one, the students turned in their papers, whereupon Mr. Brotch would tell them what they had received as their career. Amata, as to be expected, was placed on the supervisory track within the Vault 101 administration, a position below her father. Lloyd was curious to see what Butch would receive; hairdresser, as it turned out. Butch grabbed the paper from Edwin's desk and crumbled it up, defiantly stating that he was a "barber" and not a hairdresser, before storming out of the room.

When all was done with, and the other students handed in their tests, Lloyd stayed behind. As Amata left the room, she looked back at him, still seated in his desk. She worried briefly, but didn't linger. Only one other student lingered for long, Freddie Gomez, who was overly nervous about his results. Finally, after convincing himself for the fifth time that he had made the right choices, he handed in his test and was relieved at his results.

"Can I help you, Mr. Freeman? Is something wrong?" Mr. Brotch asked as he looked up from his desk and noticed Lloyd, sitting in the darkness, the only illumination in the room, and on Lloyd, originating from the still-running video projector.

Not rising from his seat, Lloyd held up his paper. "This is seriously supposed to be the test that determines my future career? This is the great and feared G.O.A.T.? This was a joke."

Mr. Brotch sighed. "You always did have a thing for speaking your mind, Lloyd."

"I call it a gift."

Brotch paused. "Look, Lloyd, I like your father. I might even like you if I wasn't your teacher." Lloyd cocked an eyebrow at that statement, but said nothing. "I can tell your future is going to be a hell of a lot brighter if you have control over it. And to be honest, I always hated this test too. Never wanted to be a teacher."

That surprised Lloyd. Then again, he had never really gotten to know his teacher that well.

Brotch continued, "So, here's what I'm going to do; just tell me what you want and I'll fill out the form."

For a moment, all was quiet.

"...Seriously?" Lloyd asked, slightly dumfounded.

"Yes."

More silence.

"...Really, seriously?"

"Before I change my mind, Lloyd," Brotch said, slightly agitated.

"Alright. I want something where I can work with my father, or in the same field. I do very well with medicine and surgery, and I like talking with the patients. I'm really good with people; reading their emotions, feelings, sometimes thoughts. Empathic is the word. I'd like something that also incorporates computers, and maybe repairing equipment, light or heavy. I'm good with those things, too." Lloyd almost mentioned how much of a crack shot he was with a rifle, but he left that out. He inwardly smiled as he considered his shooting range, which he had been frequenting for the past six years.

Mr. Brotch thought for a moment, before shuffling some papers on his desk and straightening them. "I'll see what I can do, Lloyd. You'll get a career that'll suit your needs, I know it. But maybe you can narrow down your resume a bit. A doctor, surgeon, therapist, scientist, computer mechanic and electrical engineer put together simply doesn't have a name that I know of."

Lloyd cocked a smile, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms. "Yes it does, and yes, you know of it."

Mr. Brotch lifted his head, looking at the teenager in curiosity.

"Enlighten me, Mr. Freeman."

"You just said it."

* * *

Stanley wiped the sweat from his brow. He had just finished tightening a leaking steam pipe and the whole area was humid and wet, with droplets of water forming on the rusty pipes and valves he was expected to maintain. He coughed a little into a rag he then stuffed into his back pocket. He looked down the hall of the lower maintenance shaft he was in when he heard the approach of Lloyd, his temporary worker for the day.

Lloyd, now seventeen, beamed a smile to Stanley and greeted him. Stanley did the same. "Alright Lloyd," he began, "We've got a few things to do on today's checklist. There's been some pressure spikes in the pipes on this level recently. There're some ventilation issues, maybe some radroaches built a nest in there… hard to say. Take this," he said, showing Lloyd a short length of pipe. "I know it's no battleaxe, but if something darts out at you, it might help."

Lloyd smirked. "Battleaxe? Who am I, Grognak the Barbarian?"

Stanley rolled his eyes. "You go a little further down and take my extra tool box. You find anything leaking or shooting steam, try to find the source of the problem and fix it. The Overseer's office has been flooded with complaints recently about some water issues and he's been breathing down my neck about it. Let's see if we can't find out what's wrong, eh?"

Lloyd nodded, taking the toolbox and the pipe. He took a moment to turn the flashlight function on his Pip-Boy on before continuing past Stanley further into the darkened tunnels. The occasional hanging lightbulb was the only source of light besides his Pip-Boy. The tunnels were narrow, covered in piping and usually either moist, rusted over or both.

He heard a crunching noise as he took another step forward. He paused and looked on the bottom of his boot. He had stepped on a vault spider, whose gooey insides were now all over the floor. Lloyd grimaced at the sight before lifting his boot up to rub its sole on a pipe, partially cleansing it of the arachnid's insides.

'Disgusting,' Lloyd thought. 'Hate spiders. Arachnids in general. Actually, arthropods in general, but crustaceans are alright. Then again, I've never even seen a crustacean…'

His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden blast of steam in front of him from a nearby pipe that he almost walked into. A fact he was thankful for, as he didn't want to deal with any burns. He set his toolbox down and immediately went about his work, trying to fix the piping.

Some ten minutes into his work, he managed to stop the steam flow. After a little duct tape and some tightening and the pipe was once more in fashionable working order. Lloyd had just finished mentally patting himself on the back when he heard some noise coming from the hallway he had just come from before pausing to work on the pipe. He was currently at a junction; his hallway merged with another.

Another sound; like a pebble bouncing off metal. He couldn't tell where its echo came from but that was definitely a sign that someone, or something, was walking nearby. "Hello?" he called out. "Stanley, that you?" He reached over and picked up the pipe.

Lloyd stood up and turned the corner only to meet a fist flying into his face. He fell back onto the hard, wet concrete floor, blood beginning to flow from his nose. He dropped the pipe as he cupped his face. He cracked his eyes open and looked up to see Butch come around the corner, followed by second bananas, Wally and Paul. Butch sneered and said, "There you are. Been waitin' a long time for this…"

'Shit,' Lloyd thought. He reached for the pipe but couldn't grab it before all three teenagers were upon him, punching and kicking. The wind knocked out of him, Lloyd focused as hard as he could on grabbing the pipe. Gasping and wincing in pain from every blow, he used all of his energy to bang the pipe against one of the pipes running along the wall, over and over, creating a loud ringing. Butch stood and kicked the pipe out of his hands, before pushing Paul and Wally aside.

He turned Lloyd onto his back and straddled him, smiling at his position of power over his helpless victim. Placing one hand on Lloyd's collarbone, he curled the other back into a fist and began pummeling away at Lloyd's rapidly bruising face. Butch laughed as he did so, as did Wally and Paul, who mocked Lloyd from the sides.

Lloyd, barely aware of anything else, knew only that his plan had worked when Stanley suddenly appeared, lured by the sounds of the pipe. Brandishing his wrench, he smacked Butch across the face with it, sending the teen to the ground. Paul and Wally were too surprised to do much of anything, but when Stanley held up the wrench as if to throw it at them, they ran. Butch looked up at him, and Stanley snarled, "Get out of my maintenance shafts, you little punk!"

Butch rubbed his sore cheek and scrambled up to his feet. He backed off, barking out, "You got lucky, old man!" He vanished around a corner.

Stanley took a moment to breathe. He hadn't expected that to happen today; the excitement was making his heart rate a little too erratic. He leaned down and picked up Lloyd, propping him up against the wall. The teen said nothing as Stanley reached into his toolbox and pulled out its one emergency stimpak, which he injected into the lad's shoulder. Its healing and pain-numbing qualities would do Lloyd some comfort.

"I think… that's enough work for today, eh?" Stanley said as Lloyd blinked a few times. "You alright to walk?"

"I think so, yeah…" Lloyd said, struggling to get up. Stanley put Lloyd's arm around his shoulders and supported him.

"Hah… Tunnel Snake punks…" Stanley said. "Real tough when it's three-on-one…"

Lloyd only mumbled in response.

"Come on, let's get you back to your father. He'll fix you up alright. Andy and I will handle the rest of the work down here."

Lloyd dumbly nodded as they reached a flight of stairs that would lead them back into the upper levels of the vault.

* * *

"These experiments are a waste of time!" Alphonse, the Overseer, exclaimed.

James, standing opposite the Overseer and across a table which contained numerous petri dishes and test tubes, met his stare and replied, "Don't be a damn fool! We experiment to prepare. We prepare to survive."

"Watch your tongue around me, James," Alphonse warned. Behind him stood security chief Paul Hannon Sr. and Officer Herman Gomez. Jonas stood behind James. "We already have a water purifier, and backup. We don't need to spend vault resources on useless experimentation so long as those are maintained."

James shook his head. "What happens if they fail? If the water chip breaks or is intentionally damaged? These experiments are important. Removing rads from water, and from patients, is important to the health of the vault as a whole."

"Regardless, I will not approve your request to use one of our main water tanks as a test bed for your experiments. Should anything go wrong, I would be held accountable and the people of the vault would be at risk."

James let out a frustrated sigh. "We've been over this a damned hundred times. There are multiple main water concentration tanks in the vault. Each of those has a number of backup contingencies, among them extra water tanks. We want to use one of the inactive backup tanks that isn't even in proper circulation right now."

"And what happens, should your experiment go wrong and contaminate more of the water supply than you need?" The Overseer retorted. "I will not willingly sign off on something that might cause a water crisis!"

James slammed his hands on the table, disturbing the liquids in the dishes. "We'll seal it off from the system! Isolate it beforehand! Run contingency checks and ensure that proper safety protocols are in place! Damnit, Alphonse, I'm not a fool. There's a procedure to these things!"

"You will refer to me by my proper title, Dr. Freeman," Alphonse nearly spat. "And the answer is still the same. Your proposal has been considered and denied."

"This could help people! Help people in the vault!" James nearly cried.

"The people are fine the way they are," the Overseer said. "There aren't any foreseeable issues with the water mainframe right now. And it's going to stay that way. Understood?"

James took a moment to straighten himself and steady his breathing. "So be it, Alphonse."

Security Chief Hannon placed his hand on his baton. "You best stop insulting the Overseer, Dr. Freeman!"

Alphonse held up his hand. "Stop. You can't teach an old stubborn dog new tricks." He looked back to James. "But you can cage it if it misbehaves further."

Understanding his meaning, James turned and went back into his office. Jonas quickly followed him. The Overseer shook his head and turned to leave, followed by officers Hannon and Gomez. Inside his office, James sat and sighed heavily. "Damn that Overseer. If only such a closed mind wasn't in charge of the vault. These experiments are important."

"I know, doc. I know," Jonas said. "We'll just have to keep trying to perfect the results with the smaller samples."

"I've been doing that for a long time," James said. "We need larger supplies of water in order to test the reactions on a large scale. But we won't have access to that technology so long as the Overseer is watching our every move."

Jonas shrugged. "Well, there's nothing else we can really do, is there?"

James looked up at him, deep in thought. Jonas wasn't sure to make of his silence, but James craned his neck to look out of his office to ensure that nobody else was around. He leaned forward. "Not in Vault 101, in here, we can't."

* * *

"Thanks for helping me again, Stanley," Lloyd said. He was once more down in the lower tunnels, helping the older technician repair the pipes. He had healed quite nicely since Butch's sudden ambush.

"Don't mention it, kiddo. From now on though, we'll work in teams down here. Plus, it'll stop you from getting lost."

"Stanley, you yourself fixed my Pip-Boy up. You know it has maps of these tunnels."

"I know, I know," Stanley replied, chuckling a little then pausing to cough.

"You alright?" Lloyd asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. Hand me that wrench, will you?" he said, pointing to the wrench atop the toolkit just outside his reach. Lloyd did so. "So, how're things you with you and Amata?"

Lloyd was stunned by the sudden question. Stanley went about his work casually, signifying to Lloyd that he was just making conversation. "They're, uh, good. Why?"

"Well, buzz around the vault is that you two have been spending a lot of time together lately."

Lloyd turned around and went about wrapping duct tape around a pipe. "Well, she's taken up some medical studies as a personal interest. It's something I'm good with, so I've been helping her. Quizzing her."

"Yeah, on what kinda stuff?"

"…Usual things, you know. Biology, medicine, anatomy…"

Stanley suddenly slapped Lloyd on the shoulder, startling the teen. "Anatomy, eh? Haha, Lloyd you hound-dog."

Lloyd quickly turned around and held up a hand. "It's not like that, Stanley. Our relationship isn't physical."

"But it is a relationship, yeah?"

Lloyd paused. "Why are you suddenly so interested, anyway?"

"Kid, I'm a father of three and grandfather of more. I think I might know one or two things about relationships. Thought you might enjoy a little advice, is all."

"She's the Overseer's daughter," Lloyd deadpanned. "With how controlling he is, he'll probably choose her mate based on what he thinks is compatibility."

"So? That means you shouldn't try?" Stanley replied. "Lemme tell you a story about my wife's father. He didn't like me. Right up until his death, he was convinced our marriage was a mistake and refused to speak with me."

"So how did you get him to like you?" Lloyd asked.

"I tried a few things; made myself look presentable to him, tried to conform to his standards of manhood, blah, blah, blah. Then, I found the secret."

"Which was?"

"I stopped trying. Made everything a helluva lot easier," he chuckled.

Lloyd was confused. "I'm a bit lost as to your point, Stanley. Care to clarify?"

Stanley stopped working on the pipe and looked at Lloyd. "Just because her father didn't like me didn't stop me from loving my wife and having three children. I married her because I loved her and felt that it was right, and to hell with whomever else thought not, father-in-law included. I wasn't about to let his disapproval get in my way."

"Yeah, but I doubt he had as much power as the Overseer," Lloyd said.

"More than you might think. When I was young, he was the Chief of Security at the time. That's a position with quite a bit of influence, even with the Overseer. Security chiefs are trusted, hand-picked—even advisors, usually. It wasn't easy, Lloyd. But once I had won over my beloved wife, well, that was that. Nothing her father could do about it."

Lloyd was silent. He looked on as Stanley was lost in memories of his late wife. Stanley was wise, and Lloyd trusted his word. As for how he felt about Amata…

He looked at Stanley and said, "Thanks again, Stan."

"Don't mention it."

* * *

Amata stood rather nervously, shifting her weight from foot to foot. From across his large desk, her father stared at her, seemingly peeling away invisible layers with his eyes until he was looking at her very essence, searching it for something. This scrutiny was making her uncomfortable; her father wasn't usually this… intense.

"Amata," he finally spoke for the first time since summoning her into his office, "I've been receiving a few concerning reports. Now, you and I have established your two hours of daily free time, that you might enlighten yourself with whatever activity that strikes your fancy… Yet, I wonder if, perhaps, your choice of how to spend this time should be brought into question."

"I don't think it should. I've done nothing wrong," she replied.

Alphonse wrung his hands together. "Amata, you have to realize that, as someone on the supervisory track, there are a number of duties and responsibilities one in a position such as yours is expected to recognize, uphold and respect. One of those is that you breed trust in the people of the vault, trust in you. I believe your free time might, perhaps, be better suited to event planning, or youth group organization. You'd be surprised at how much these acts reflect in the hearts of the civilians of the vault."

Amata looked away. "…Maybe sometime in the future. I'm focusing on studying other subjects right now."

Once more, Alphonse was silent before speaking in a slightly-accusing tone, "With Lloyd Freeman?"

Amata considered her response. "What of it?" she said, slightly defiantly. Alphonse picked up on it.

"Amata, as your father, but more importantly as your Overseer, I want you to limit your time with Lloyd. You're at an age where it's important that you craft as bright a future for yourself as possible. Lloyd is… a distraction that, quite frankly, is beneath someone of your caliber."

"I think he's smarter than me," Amata retorted. "I feel lucky to have him help tutor me."

Alphonse's knuckles were starting to whiten from him squeezing his hands together. Exasperated, he once more fixed his gaze with hers. "Look at me, Amata."

She did so, somewhat put off by the seriousness with which he now considered her.

"Listen to me very carefully, Amata. Lloyd is a product of his father's teachings, not Mr. Brotch's. James is difficult to keep in his place. The vault is a machine, Amata. Everyone does their part. We can't have pieces of this machine think that they can function differently, or choose where they want to function. They simply have to function, and as the Overseer, it's my job to make sure that the machine works. It's the hardest job here in the vault, and I take no personal pleasure from the lengths I have to go to ensure control of the machine. Not just for the moment we live in, but for the future as well. Someday, Amata, I'll be gone. Then you'll be the Overseer. And I will not let someone like James Freeman influence this vault by having his son have influence over you."

Amata stopped her father's speech and stomped her foot on the ground, shaking her head. "We're people! Not parts in a machine, dad! I can't… I just can't believe that that's how you see the vault! You're cooped up here in your office every day, administering orders for your security drones to carry out. James Freeman is a wonderful man, and the people of the vault like him. That's why you hate him, dad. Because you can't stand the idea that someone else in the vault can hold sway over the people. That's the only reason! And I'm sickened by the fact that you hate Lloyd only because he's James' son!"

Alphonse shot up. "Now see here! I am your father, and you'll not speak to me as such! You don't know to what lengths I've gone to keep this vault safe! Someday, you'll appreciate all I've done for this vault, and for you!"

Amata was visibly upset now, having rarely ever fought with her father. "I'm not a part in a machine! You can't just expect me to fall in line with your grooming and that I'll just jump right into your job when you can't do it anymore! I want to be more than your replacement, dad, I want to help people, something you've forgotten how to do!"

Alphonse roared, "Don't you dare say that I've forgotten how to help people! I've made decisions tougher than you can know so that the people of this vault can sleep easy! That they'll have clean food and water, and order in their lives! If they're unhappy because I've given them everything they need, then the problem is on them! And you, young lady, you're confined to your quarters until you learn your lesson and appreciate what I do for you!"

Amata's mind spun with a hundred different retorts, but ultimately, she decided it pointless. Stomping her foot in anger, she resigned trying to talk sense into her father and stormed out of the room, heading towards her own quarters. Alphonse straightened as she left, running a hand through his hair. A twinge of guilt struck him, but he swallowed it down. It was only a matter of time, in his eyes, before this kind of exchange was going to come out. He convinced himself it was all part of the process.

Alphonse shook his head and tried to focus his thoughts on his next objective. He knew that if he didn't take some kind of action soon, James might ruin more than he realized. He wasn't about to let that happen.

'I never should've let him in…'

* * *

Amata waited two hours after her door was locked to roll out of bed. Though her room was sound-proofed, she still took measures to be quiet as she slipped into her jumpsuit. Heading over to her nightstand, she picked up two very important tools; a bobby pin and a screwdriver. Making her way over to her bedroom door, she deftly went about her task of unlocking it.

Locking the keyhole on the large, sliding mechanism, she inserted both tools into it. Having practiced at this more than once in the past, she knew well the tricks involved with lock picking. Turning both of them until she found the proper angle, she applied pressure until she heard an all-too familiar "click" and the door slid open.

Keeping low and moving fast, she navigated the corridors of the vault. Checking each hall to ensure there weren't any security patrols or people milling about even at this late hour, she managed to stealthily make her way to her destination. Pausing to ensure nobody was within earshot, she opened the door, cringing at the sound it made as its two halves parted.

She moved in quickly, closing the door behind her. A sudden piercing light in the darkness startled her—the light function of a Pip-Boy.

"Little late, isn't it?" Lloyd said as he sat up from bed and rubbed his eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint," she coyly replied. "I can always leave if you like. Though, you should know that it took a bit of effort to get here."

"By all means, stay for a while." Lloyd turned and kicked his feet off the bed. Wearing only a white t-shirt and boxer shorts, he stepped onto the cold, metal floor barefoot. Amata stood up and edged nearer. "I was worried when you didn't show up tonight. I stopped by the administration to look for you, but they wouldn't let me around."

"My father's trying to tighten his grip," she explained. "Things are going to get difficult for us."

"Does he know about, well, us? Our… well, does he?" he asked, uncertain of how to delicately phrase his question.

"No, not really. He suspects. Fears, more like it."

"He's afraid of us being together?" Lloyd asked as he resumed sitting on the bed. He patted the side next to him, an invitation to sit which she accepted.

"He's afraid of the effect your father's ideals would have on me, through you."

"That's… odd," he said, trying to find the logic in her father's thinking.

"You're telling me. He's going to try to keep me locked up for a while. I figure that if I play along, he'll go easier on me. As much as I hate to admit, the harder I fight him, the worse he'll become. He's just such a control freak, I can't stand it!" she said, shaking her head. Her dark bangs fell in front of her face, which Lloyd swiftly tucked behind her ear with his hand. He guided her face to face his by gently cupping her chin.

"Hang in there, Amata. Are we going to let him stop us?"

"He'll only succeed in slowing us down," she said, idly tracing a finger on his leg. "I won't be able to see you as much for, well, I don't know how long."

"Better make use of our time then," Lloyd said before moving closer, softly encouraging her onto the bed, "You need to be back by morning, after all." He dove in kissing her eagerly, which she responded to with equal passion, pleased with the enthusiasm. Wrapping her arms around his back, she dug her fingers into his hair as she pulled his body closer to herself.

Lloyd slid his hand up to the zipper on the front of her jumpsuit and was about to pull it down, before she stopped kissing him and slapped his hand away. "Not that fast there, cowboy," she said. "The suit stays on."

Lloyd, a bit too modest to make a snappy retort, simply nodded and resumed kissing her.

* * *

Good things can't last forever.

* * *

Lloyd turned over in his bed, burying his face in his pillow. Somewhere, deep within the layers of his subconscious, something was nagging at him to awaken; something stirred by a faraway noise. But Lloyd was enjoying a very comfortable rest, and an even more comfortable dream when suddenly he was shaken almost violently awake. Blinking, his eyes slowly adjusted to the ultraviolet light of his room to behold Amata standing over him.

"Wake up! Come on, wake up!" she was saying. In his addled state, he didn't notice the worried look on her face, or the alarms blaring in the background, for that matter. "Come on, you've got to wake up!"

He smiled meekly. "Hey... how weird, I was just dreaming about you..."

She slapped him. Hard. Now, he was definitely awake. He saw her estranged facial expression, and finally heard the alarms.

"Now's not the time to be a smart-mouth! This is serious!" she said, growing irritated. "My father's men are looking for you! They've already killed Jonas, and you've got to get out of here!"

"...What?" Lloyd gasped. "Jonas is... dead? What the hell's going on!?" he shouted, springing out of bed. He was wearing only a white tee and boxer shorts.

"It's your dad, he's left the vault!"

Those words hit him like a bullet and stopped him like a wall. "What do you mean? What's going on?" Lloyd frantically asked, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"My father thinks Jonas helped your dad escape, so he had his men..." she paused, and her face quivered. "My god, Lloyd, they killed him... they just beat him and beat him and wouldn't stop..." It seemed as though the reality of it just hit her. She was growing weak, and her eyes were tearing up.

"Oh my god… Are you okay?" Lloyd asked, stepping closer. Amata put her hand up, sniffling a little.

"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'm just… sorry you had to find out like this. I know Jonas was your friend."

Lloyd nodded and averted his gaze. Thousands of thoughts flashed through his head. 'Jonas... dead... and dad's left the vault... why? Why?' he desperately tried to rack his brain for any hint, any indication, anything that would lead him to an answer. He had nothing, flat-out nothing at all that could help him understand. No indication; was this a planned secret? Kept from him? But why?

Amata spoke. "But we've got to go now! My father's men will be here any minute!"

Lloyd shook his head, seemingly not hearing her. "No, no, my father can't have left. The door is sealed shut!"

"Not anymore, apparently..." she said. "But... are you honestly telling me you really didn't know your father was leaving? He didn't tell you?"

Lloyd grimly shook his head. "No." He paused a moment, thinking heavily. "I had no idea he was planning to leave."

"Oh... I'm sorry, I had no idea... I-I'm sure he had his reasons... maybe Jonas was supposed to explain everything to you?"

"I have no idea, Amata..." he spoke, his face showing distinct sincerity.

Amata shook her head and grew determined. "But it doesn't matter now, he's dead. I can help you escape, I have my own plan!"

"You mean escape the vault? How?" he asked.

"Listen: there's a secret tunnel leading directly from my father's office to the exit. You'll have to hack his computer to open it." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bunch of bobby-pins. "Use these to get past his door. It's how I always get in."

Lloyd nodded and took the pins. "Sounds like a good plan. Let's get out of here."

"Oh, and also… I stole my father's pistol." Amata reached behind herself and pulled a 10mm handgun out from behind her back. "I really hope you don't have to use this... but just in case... you know?"

"Yeah... yeah, I know." He reached over and took the pistol from her hands. It felt light and easy to use. It was the first, truly lethal weapon he ever held; the first weapon made with the express purpose of killing. He never considered his old BB gun to be any form of dangerous. It gave him a strange sense of power, one he didn't know if he liked. Was it power? Or protection? Or both?

"Thanks Amata. I promise I'll only use it if I have to. A last resort. I promise."

She nodded in understanding. "Okay. I'll try to meet you at the exit. Watch out for security and... good luck." She leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Sorry for the slap..." she said as she turned to leave. Lloyd turned to watch her go. As she left the room, she paused and spoke. "If you can open up the exit, do it. Don't wait for me if I don't show up. Oh, and... try to get dressed." And with a quick, forced smile, she was gone.

Lloyd didn't take long. He put on his jumpsuit and grabbed the only other weapon he could think of: a baseball bat he had gotten as a recent birthday gift. He spent a short moment to search for what else he could use. He didn't think he'd be coming back here. He picked up the baseball that had accompanied the bat and slid it into his pocket. He walked over to one corner of his room, which had a medical cabinet. Inside were a few minor supplies, some stimpaks and some shots of Med-X, along with some surgical equipment. He took the first aid kit with all of the items in it and buckled it to his belt.

He thought briefly on taking his old BB gun and any pellets he had. But with the pistol, and the given circumstances, he left it behind, deeming it rather worthless.

Baseball bat in hand, he left his room only to be immediately shouted at from one end of the hall. He turned and saw Officer Kendall there, pointing at him and ordering to freeze. He wore a black armored chest plate, as well as gloves and boots. His helmet had a plastic facemask, but even behind it Lloyd could see his eyes narrowed in anger.

Before either could act, Lloyd heard a clicking noise and a group of about four radroaches swarmed up to Kendall's feet. The football-sized insects normally nested in the ventilation ducts and were a terrible pest, though a manageable one. "Christ, more roaches!" he shouted as he struggled against the large insects that were leaping up and biting his legs. He futilely swung at them with his police baton, only occasionally hitting them.

Lloyd immediately took up his bat, charged forward and started swinging at the roaches. They cracked and crunched as he attacked them, with sickly yellow fluid spraying out of one as he brought the bat down upon its hide.

Not long after, all the roaches were dead.

"Are you alright, Officer Kendall?" Lloyd asked. As soon as he had asked it, he had to step back to narrowly avoid being hit in the face with the officer's baton.

"Whoa! Officer Kendall, relax!" Lloyd protested, holding up a hand in defense.

"You think you're better than the rest of us, don't you, you little son of a bitch!" he cried as he swung again. Lloyd blocked it with the bat. "You think that just because you and your father are so goddamn smart and that we all need you; that you can just up and leave whenever you feel like it? Huh?" he shouted, swinging twice as he ranted.

"What? No! Never! I don't have any idea-"

"Shut up you little fucker!" Kendall took another swing.

Lloyd saw an opening and swung with his bat. It connected solidly to the side of Kendall's head. He groaned loudly and stepped back, holding the side of his head where the blunt object had impacted. Lloyd backed up a bit, putting some distance between himself and the officer.

"Now please just listen to me!" Lloyd said, holding up his hands. "I'm sorry! I don't want to fight!"

Kendall looked up at him and gritted his teeth. "I'll kill you!" He charged at Lloyd, raising the baton high up.

Lloyd reacted fast and swung twice, each solidly connecting with the sides of the officer's head. He made no noise as he fell to the ground, very much unconscious and bleeding, enough so to start a pool where his head lay.

Lloyd could only stare, wide-eyed, at what he had done. He tried to form words at that moment, to ask the man he had injured if he was alright, but couldn't. He knew enough about injuries to know that the man was out cold.

Maybe dying.

As his senses returned to him and he found himself able to breath again. He heard the alarms. His father was gone. Radroaches were swarming, for some reason, and the guards were after his blood. He had just attacked a man with a baseball bat, had seriously injured him and was mortified at all of it.

But he had to leave. With one last look at the unconscious man, he ran down the hallways of the vault. The alarms blazed and rang in his ears, but as he rounded a corner, he heard a cry for help from a familiar voice. Butch suddenly exited a room near Lloyd and noticed him. "Hey!" he cried. "You gotta help me! My mom's trapped in there with the radroaches!"

Lloyd paused. The situation struck him as ironic, but he wasn't about to be a dick about it. Butch looked honestly desperate. He tightened his grip on his bat and said, "Come on, show me where she is."

"No, I... I can't go back in there. It's dark, and... and there's radroaches, and... you know..." Butch said, rubbing the back of his neck and stuttering slightly.

'Good god man, it's your mother!' Lloyd thought. "I'll get her out of... wherever she is. Show me already!" he ordered.

"Oh my god, thank you! I didn't know what to do! You're the best, man!" he said. "Follow me!"

Butch's mother was trapped in their room. Three radroaches had crawled inside from an open air duct and were attacking her. She was crying out for help, and Lloyd was going to give just that kind of help. He ran in and smashed the three oversized bugs, one after another, saving her. The last one leapt for Lloyd, but he intercepted it midair with a wicked crack from his bat. Butch stood in the doorway, cheering him on as he finished the last one off. "We did it!" he cried.

'Are you kidding me…?' Lloyd thought, wiping the yellow fluid from the bat on the bed.

"My mom's gonna be okay! You're the best friend I've ever had, man!"

"Butchy..." his mother cooed.

"I'm here mom, and you're alive!" he turned back to Lloyd. "Listen man, I know it isn't much, but I want you to have my Tunnel Snakes jacket. Go ahead, take it!" he insisted, sliding it off and handing it over.

'Well... it does have more pockets, I guess...' he thought. 'And Butch really wants me to have it.'

He took the jacket and slid it on, then left while Butch tended to his mother.

'This thing's actually pretty comfortable...' he thought. The irony of him wearing the jacket continued to humor him, until the reality of the situation he was in came down on him once more.

Lloyd continued on. He heard some radroaches scurrying inside a room, and he stopped to see. It was the lounge, the one he had his tenth birthday party in. It was dark. There was an elderly woman inside, lying on the floor, dead. She was known to most as Grandma Taylor, though Lloyd was unsure of whose grandmother she actually was. Three radroaches were chomping on her body.

The sight sickened him profusely. He deprived the roaches of their insignificant lives, and then moved on.

He was getting tired of seeing dead bodies, and tired of these damn radroaches. It seemed like there was one or a small group around every corner. Where did they all come from? And why swarm now? Did the alarms wake them up?

He rounded a few more corners, and headed up a flight of stairs, towards the clinic and his father's office. Since it was on the way, he thought he'd stop by and see if he could find anything useful. He froze when he saw another officer. 'Shit...'

But then he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that it was Officer Gomez, whom he had always been friendly with. He knew he could talk Gomez down if he came after him. But first, he saw that the officer was dealing with a few roaches. As he moved to help him, the roaches were suddenly engulfed in flames. That was the work of the robot Andy, utilizing one of his three mechanical arms (specifically, the one that sported a flamethrower). He approached Gomez, who recognized him immediately.

"Whew, you're lucky it was me who found you. The others won't be so forgiving." Gomez said. Lloyd thought about Kendall, and then shuddered at the sudden thought of a group of roaches stumbling upon his body. Gomez continued, "Look, I don't know what you're up to and I don't wanna know. Just, just clear outta here and I'll pretend I never saw you."

This surprised Lloyd. "Thanks, officer Gomez. I always knew I could count on you."

"It's a real damn shame that it's come to this. I can't believe that they did to Jonas... Officer Mack was just out of control... But you're a good kid. You didn't do anything to deserve this. Go, find your dad, if you can."

"Officer Mack killed Jonas? Steve Mack? Wally's brother?" Lloyd asked.

Gomez could only nod his head. "A young kid, just got into the force. He's wild. Arrogant. Never did like the look of him. He's got a murdering fire in his eyes, I thought. Guess I was right."

Lloyd hoped he wouldn't have to come across Steve on his way out. With another thanks, Lloyd moved past him and entered the medical area. Stanley was there, patching up Andy. Andy was a Type-I Mister Handy robot, a hoverbot designed to assist with mundane tasks. Something of a butler, usually.

"Hello good sir!" Andy spoke, his programmed politeness shining through as always. "I believe I heard something about the good Dr. James going up for a spot of fresh air. Should be back any moment now."

"Shut up, Andy..." Stanley muttered as he set down a wrench. He looked at Lloyd. "Hey kid, listen. I just want you to know that you and your dad always did right by us. You're aces in my book. I'm not going to give you any trouble, but the Overseer gave a general order to report you. I think they're gonna kill you, Lloyd."

"Yeah… I know."

"Be careful, Lloyd. Especially if you follow your pop… you know, up there," Stanley said as he pointed up to the ceiling.

Lloyd nodded before moving into his father's office, closing the door behind him. He needed to find something, anything, that could provide insight into his father's motivation for causing all of this by leaving the vault. Hell, he always told Lloyd not to leave the vault! This was completely the opposite of everything his father had ever told him! Everything!

He spent a few minutes tearing the office apart, looking for evidence that, for all he knew, didn't exist. There was nothing. Scattered papers, an overturned desk and broken beakers were all that remained. Absolutely nothing at all that gave him any kind of clue. Frustrated, angry and looking to vent his rage, he looked at the wall and saw that framed quote he had heard so many times throughout his childhood.

"_I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."_

He heard his father's voice saying those words, as he had heard a thousand times before, and he found within himself a boiling rage.

"Goddamn you... why did you leave? Why?" he spoke to no one in the room, but to the essence of his father, the quality of him that remained here. Many of Lloyd's memories were of his father working in the clinic. "You always said to stay below... where it's safe... secure... This isn't what my mother wanted you to do... You always said... You son of a bitch!"

He swung the bat in a fit of rage, smashing it into the quote. The glass shattered and the frame fell to the ground.

Revealing a hole in the wall.

Lloyd blinked a few times. 'What the hell...' he thought.

Inside was a bag and a small audio disk. He picked up the bag, and opened it. It was full of bottle caps.

"What? Bottle caps... did he collect bottle caps or something?" Lloyd said. He didn't know why, but he felt he should keep them and slid the bag into a jacket pocket, zipping it up tight so that they wouldn't make too much noise. He picked up the holodisk, which was labeled in marker, "Home Sweet Home," and slid it into his Pip-Boy. He needed to know if this had anything to do with his father's leaving.

He inserted it and hit the play button on the glowing screen. James' voice emanated from the Pip-Boy as the recording began playing. The alarms in the distance seemed to grow dimmer as Lloyd heard his father speak.

"_Well, here we are. Nestled all safe and snug inside Vault 101. It's so cold down here. Colder still with Catherine gone... oh, Catherine... I so wish you were here with me. How the hell am I supposed to do this by myself? Live down in this hole. Take care of our child... but this is our life now, so I guess I'd better get used to it. The Overseer who runs the place is an overbearing bully, but I've dealt with worse."_

The recording ended there, and Lloyd could only wonder at what he had just heard. Something itched at the back of his brain, some kind of little voice that told him that something in his father's voice was implying something, some hidden. He didn't know what, but it sounded like...

'No… Couldn't be.'

It sounded like James wasn't always down in the vault.

'But that would be impossible... Wouldn't it?'

He shook his head. Either way, hearing the voice of his father had calmed him. He heard the blazing alarms, and knew he had to leave. Leave the vault... the very prospect of it still shook him.

'Time to leave.'

Stepping past a few toasty radroach corpses, courtesy of Andy, he entered the atrium, a large room with two floors that acted as a hallway hub. The Overseer's office overlooked the main area of the atrium. Almost immediately, he saw two people he knew, Tom and Mary Holden. Tom was speaking.

"Don't you see? This is our chance! We're getting out of here, just like the doctor!"

Before Lloyd could make his presence known, Tom ran towards one end of the atrium, shouting out his name and to, "let him through." He was met with gunfire; bullets rained from the end of the hallway and blasted right into him, each hitting their mark. He was dead in seconds. Mary screamed and ran to him, and she too was gunned down.

Lloyd could only stand and watch as two people, in the prime of their lives, were brutally murdered before his eyes.

The two security officers who had done it came out of the hallway and saw Lloyd.

"There he is! Take him down!" one called out. They aimed.

Lloyd could not honestly know what propelled him to take out his pistol and fire. He fired multiple times at each officer, and didn't stop until they had both fallen over and moved no more. His brain barely registered that he had just killed two officers, keepers of peace. Murderers.

Did this make Lloyd a murderer? To kill those who had killed innocents themselves? Lloyd knew that they were ordered to, most likely to put down any rebels that might rise in the wake of his father. Does that make it right? It couldn't.

Lloyd stood still, so very still. The alarms and flashing lights around him didn't affect him. He was too busy thinking about how he had just shot and killed two men. Then, he noticed he had taken a hit himself; more of a scrape. They had shot at him, at least once. The realization that they were going to kill him hit him at that moment. Did self-defense justify what he had done? He decided the pain that he was suddenly aware of was more important at that second than calling his morality into question.

Absent mindedly, with a practiced hand, he took out a stimpak and injected it just above the scrape, which was just on the outside of his left thigh. He tended the injury quickly and quietly, disinfecting it before wrapping it in gauze. The pain was minimal compared to the whirlwind of emotions that was tearing him apart inside.

All he could do was cover up the wound and keep moving. He had to escape this place; it was his only purpose now. To escape this godforsaken place.

As he moved up a flight of stairs, he encountered more roaches. Now wielding the pistol, he spent one shot each. They were blasted apart by the bullets. He heard a loud knocking, and looked to his left. The tapping was done by a man on the other side of a window. He was pounding on it and shouting and was visibly angry. He was Allen Mack, father of Wally, Steve and Suzie Mack. Lloyd knew him to be a most easily angered individual, and particularly troubled since the death of his wife.

"You!" he shouted, his voice muffled by the glass but still audible. "This is your fault! You and your stupid father! He had to leave and screw things up for everybody! Guards! Guards, over here! You know what, fuck it! You just wait, I'm gonna go find my gun!" The man turned around and passed a crying woman, Suzie most likely.

Lloyd was determined not to have to kill anyone he didn't have to. As he continued down a hallway into a maintenance area, where a large computer mainframe that handled much of the vault's vital electronic system was situated, more radroaches tried to attack him. He killed them all and reloaded when he ran out of bullets; this was his last clip of ammunition.

There was a dead engineer in front of a large computer database. The work of radroaches? He didn't stop to investigate. 'Too many goddamn dead people...' he thought. 'I need to get the fuck out of here...'

"For the Overseer!" he heard someone cry. A security guard jumped out from behind a mainframe and came at him with a baton.

Security Chief Hannon, Paul's father, the one in Butch's gang. Lloyd aimed his gun and told Hannon to stop. Hannon smiled behind his plastic mask when he saw the gun. He held up his baton. Lloyd was shaking; he really didn't want to have to shoot at the security chief.

"You don't got the guts kid. No, now you're mine!" He charged forward.

Lloyd closed his eyes. One pull of the trigger later, and Paul's father was dead. Slowly, Lloyd opened his eyes and looked at the body, seeing the mask shattered and a pool of blood forming from the wound in Chief Hannon's face.

"Goddamnit!" Lloyd cried out as he shook. "Stop making me fucking kill you! Stop it already! Just... fucking... stop it!" he shouted at the dead body. "Stop making me shoot you! I don't want to fucking shoot you people!" He let out a loud cry, tears welling up in his eyes. Until this day, the thought of killing someone, seriously killing someone, had never occurred to him. He never thought he would need to.

That makes four men he had killed today, including Kendall. He was radroach food, and he was sure of it now, unless someone had found him and helped him.

Lloyd was losing it. He had to get out. Get out and escape. He stumbled into another hall, leaving Hannon's corpse behind, struggling to keep going, but he was weakened by the emotional turmoil that was wracking his brain. He had to escape... 'Wait, what's that noise?' Lloyd heard crying. And he knew the source.

'Amata!'

He ran up to a window, peering inside. Amata was inside, sitting in a chair, crying. An officer was standing over her, and next to him was her father, the Overseer. He could hear them, as the door not far away was open.

The Overseer, Alphonse, was talking. "Be reasonable Amata. Officer Mack may enjoy this, but I don't. Just tell us where your friend is so we can talk to him."

'Steve Mack?' Lloyd thought. 'The one Gomez said murdered Jonas…'

Amata spoke between sobs. "He's my friend and... and I just wanted to help him. I was worried about him. What does he have to do with all of this anyway? He didn't do anything! I swear!"

"That's why you need to tell me where he is. So I can talk with him, nothing more."

Amata grew silent.

"One more time, Officer Mack."

Mack raised his baton. "I think you need to learn some... respect!" he said, smacking her in the face on the last word. She cried out for him to stop, but he didn't, smacking her again.

That set Lloyd off. He ran into the room and fired up at the ceiling to get their attention, his bullet piercing the light above and causing a brief shower of sparks. All three turned to look at him in surprise.

"Amata, go! Now!" He shouted. Amata, thankfully, immediately moved and leapt out of the chair, running past Lloyd. Mack moved to intercept her, but Lloyd aimed at his feet and fired again, causing him to stop. Amata had gotten away and ducked into a room across the hallway.

Lloyd looked at Mack. His eyes were wide, tear-filled and angry. "I've killed four of your men already," he said through gritted teeth, trying to sound strong. "Don't move."

The Overseer stepped forward. Lloyd focused his gun on him, but he didn't seem troubled by it.

"I hope you're here to turn yourself in, young man. You're already in enough trouble as it is. Don't make things worse for yourself. Or Amata."

That struck a nerve in Lloyd. The Overseer was trying to exploit his weaknesses. He wouldn't let it work.

Steadying his breath, he threatened, "If you ever lay a hand on Amata again, you better believe I'll make you regret it you son of a bitch."

The Overseer crossed his arms. "I place the good of the vault above all other things, even my own paternal feelings. We must not allow sentiment to cloud our judgment!" Lloyd thought the Overseer was telling that to himself as much as he was to Lloyd. "But... I admit, I admire your protective nature. Very well. I give you my word as the Overseer, and as her father, that Amata will not suffer further because of your actions."

Lloyd blinked, clearing some remaining liquid from his eyes. "Beg your pardon if I don't believe you, on account of that little show with your pet officer here." Mack growled and stepped forward, and Lloyd sighted his gun back on Mack's head. Lloyd muttered, "Keep your dog on a shorter leash, Overseer. I've been a little trigger-happy of late. Chief Hannon just learned that in the other room." He could hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth. His entire body felt tense; like it was going to snap in half any minute.

The Overseer's eyes narrowed. "Mack, stand down." Mack gritted his teeth and stood straight, baton at his side. Alphonse looked back at Lloyd. "Now then, if you truly care about Amata, you'll see how dangerous your father's actions were. Hand over your weapons, and turn yourself in. Put an end to this dangerous situation! Too many lives have been lost, thanks to the radroaches and... certain individuals." The Overseer paused for a moment before adding what seemed to be an afterthought. "There's no need to join your father as a traitor to the vault."

Lloyd let out a very small chuckle and swallowed, before saying, "I think it's a little too late for that, Alphonse." The Overseer's eyebrow tweaked slightly.

"I've had enough of you and your traitorous father not calling me by my official title. You will refer to me as the Overseer, protector and savior of all those in Vault 101!" he demanded.

Lloyd snapped, "Is that what you said to Jonas before you had your lackeys kill him? My father's no traitor. But you're a murder and a no-good thug, no greater than a lowly bully, worthy only of my, and everyone else's contempt." To heighten his point, he spit on the ground, in front of the Overseer. Lloyd wasn't sure where all the words coming out of his mouth were really coming from. He could hardly believe he was saying these kinds of things to the Overseer; it was like the things he had always wanted to say were bubbling to the surface, escaping through his lips.

The Overseer was obviously infuriated. "Let's just let history be the judge of that, shall we? If you had actually paid attention to Mr. Brotch, instead of sleeping and claiming a superior intelligence on the subject as the reason, you would have learnt that history is invariably written by the victor."

"I guess I'm just a bad student, then." Lloyd replied.

The Overseer ignored him. "I intend to be the victor. You won't survive the night! Mack!"

Mack howled like an animal and ran at Lloyd, swinging his baton. But Lloyd, tense as he was, was ready. Lloyd dodged the attack and fired once. Only once. And Mack was dead, a bullet hole in the side of his head. Steve's body slumped over and Lloyd found himself weak in the knees again.

Alphonse approached suddenly. Immediately, he aimed at the Overseer, who raised his hands. Lloyd approached and held the gun to his neck.

"I need your terminal password," he breathed.

"Oh? Is that all?" The Overseer said in condescending tone.

Lloyd wasn't budging. After a moment of silence, the Overseer spoke.

"Amata."

Lloyd lowered the gun and turned to leave. As he did, he cast one, final look back at the Overseer.

"You won't be seeing me again, Alphonse. I promise you that."

He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He shot the panel, sealing the door shot. The Overseer watched him do this from the window in silence.

Lloyd entered the room that led to the Overseer's office. In the center of it was Jonas, broken, bloody and dead. Lloyd didn't say anything, or cry. He was running on some kind of autopilot at this point, but he still felt remorse. He never wanted this to happen. As grim an action as it was, he decided to see if Jonas had anything on his person that could benefit him at all and riffled through his pockets.

He found a stimpak and another audio disk. He slid this one into his Pip-Boy as he had done before, and hit play. His father's voice played. Near the end, Jonas' voice could be heard.

"_Hold on Jonas, I need to record this first. I... I don't really know how to tell you this. I hope you'll understand, but I know you might be angry. I thought about it for a long time, but in the end I decided it was best for you not to know. So many things could have gone wrong and there's really no telling how the Overseer will react when he finds out. It's best if he can blame everything on me. Obviously you already know that I'm gone. It was something I needed to do. You're an adult now. You're ready to be on your own. Maybe someday things will change and we can see each other again. I can't tell you why I left or where I'm going. I don't want you to follow me. God knows life in the vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe. Just knowing that will be enough to keep me going."_

"_Don't mean to rush you, Doc, but I'd feel better if we got this over with."_

"_Okay. Go ahead. Goodbye. I love you, son."_

Lloyd grew silent.

"I'm sorry..."

Lloyd turned to see Amata, leaning on the doorway and looking down at him. He saw her face, bruised and slightly puffy from her crying. She was still sniffling a little.

"Thank you... for your help," she spoke. "I told you my father wasn't himself... If you hadn't shown up, I don't know what might have happened."

Lloyd looked down at the floor, at Jonas.

"I've killed four people with the gun you gave me. I didn't even check the first two to see who they were."

They were both silent.

"They shot at me. Attacked me. Killed Jonas. Hurt you," he said, growing quiet.

"You did what you needed to do..." she spoke.

"I'm trying to believe that. I'm really, desperately trying to justify the murders. The murders... of the murderers. The first two... I saw them shoot Tom and Mary Holden to death. They tried to kill me... shot me in the leg... I killed them." He held up the pistol and looked at it. "Nine years of target practice... this is the end result." He ran a hand through his hair and let out a pained gasp as he tried to calm himself.

"You're not a murderer," she said, walking over and kneeling by him. "I know you aren't..." she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I... I just don't know what's right down here anymore..." Tears slid down his face. He looked at her. "I can't stay. Too much has happened. I have to leave. The surface is the only place I can go." His voice was dispassionate, distant.

Amata hugged him, burying her face in his neck. He didn't put his arms around her, but he did close his eyes. For a short while, they remained like that. Then she let go and handed him a key.

"I found a spare in my father's room," she explained. "It'll open the door."

Lloyd nodded and took the key. He stood up, offering his hand. She took it and stood with him. "Let's get the hell out of here," Lloyd said. She nodded in agreement.

They unlocked the door and moved into the Overseer's office. It was dominated by the large, circular desk in the center of it, and the large computer terminal behind it. Lloyd moved to the terminal and put the password in when he was prompted for it.

"How'd you know the password? What is it?" She asked.

"I... persuaded your father to give me the code. It's your name."

She paused. "He loves me. He has a weird, frustrating way of showing it, but he cares about me."

Lloyd turned back to the console. "Yeah… There're a lot of files on here... I'd kinda like to read them and find out anything I can about the surface, or... anything that might help, really."

"I don't mind," she said quietly.

Lloyd connected a wire from the console to his Pip-Boy. He began a file download. A short while later, he was done. As he searched, he found the subroutine to open the emergency escape tunnel and activated it.

In response, the Overseer's desk raised into the air, supported by metal pistons. The floor beneath it moved, revealing a stone staircase leading downwards. Amata was shocked by this; she knew of the escape tunnel but never knew what it had looked like. Silently, they proceeded forward. This part of the complex was dimly lit, and the walls were rusty. Some radroaches frequented the dark area. They were dealt with, the baseball bat making short work of them. They moved through dark corridors, eventually finding a panel on the wall. It led to the main door chamber.

A massive, steel cog served as the entrance to the vault. A large mechanism in front of it, once activated, would lock into the cog and roll it aside, opening the way to the surface. It was closed now; probably sealed after James had left.

"Wow... this is it..." Amata said.

Lloyd moved to a control console. "Yeah. Here we go."

He flipped on a few switches into the active position, and pressed a few buttons. Whatever he did, it worked. Alarms sounded, and the unlocking mechanism was brought to life. It moved forward, imbedding itself in the cog. It locked in, and rolled it aside. A great screeching noise was heard when the cog was slowly moved. Beyond was a dark cavern. It was the first time Lloyd had ever seen rough, real stone.

He found himself repeating Amata's words. "This is it..."

They heard a banging sound from a door behind them. Then, a muffled voice behind it. "He's opening the gate! We need more guards down here right now! Find them! Find the Overseer!"

Lloyd looked to Amata.

"We actually did it... opened the door... my god, I almost didn't believe it was possible..." she said, looking into the cavern beyond. A dull mist and a strange smell hit their nostrils unlike any they had ever smelt before.

"I couldn't have done it without your help," he said. Their gazes met.

"No... You didn't need me. If anyone can survive out there, it's you." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "I... I wish you good luck."

He breathed a few times before speaking. "Come with me," he said.

She looked at him. "I... I don't know if I can... It's certainly tempting. But I feel like my place is here. The vault needs me more than... you do. I want the chance to talk some sense into my father."

Lloyd looked into the cavern, the dark place that signified his future.

"Amata... Today I killed people. I'm not a murderer, not a killer. I... almost lost myself in here today..." he looked at her. "I don't want to become the very thing I've spent all my life trying to avoid. I... I need you to help me out there. Please... I can't do this alone."

Amata looked away. "I don't want to be selfish... I feel like this place needs me... There's a lot of innocent people here who could use my help."

"I don't know what life is like on the outside. Maybe it'll be easy, maybe not. My best senses tell me that it's not. Amata..." he closed his eyes. "There's nobody in the world I would trust more than you to come with me out there. Please... help me find my father. The vault will settle down in our wake... I'm sure of it."

"I would hope so... but... I just don't know..."

Lloyd said nothing, but offered her his hand. There it was: a choice that would change both of their lives forever. She looked into his eyes, then to his hand, and back to his eyes. She could see everything that had happened to him today reflected in those deep, emerald pools. Yesterday, she had been most concerned with getting her room's computer fixed. Now, she was faced with the highest of ultimatums. Both of them realized that this was a choice that could never, ever be reversed, and that both results had consequences.

His hand was still open, waiting to see if she would accept it. His breathing was heavy and his eyes still watered. He silently pleaded.

After another moment's silence, she took it.

The door behind them burst open suddenly, and two guards rushed out. One was shooting. Amata let go and ducked behind Lloyd as he raised the pistol.

"Don't make me use this!" he shouted. "You've already been made well aware of my handiwork with it. We're leaving the vault. If you want to live, you'll let us leave."

All was silent. Lloyd stood straight, holding his firearm in one hand. He was still as a statue, save for his arm, which shook slightly.

Amata recognized them. "Officers Wolfe and Park... please just let us go..." Amata said.

They stood still, holding their weapons. The standoff could've turned violent at the drop of a hat.

"I don't care what the Overseer says..." Wolfe said. "I'm not going out there to follow you, and I sure as hell ain't no murderer, like the ones you shot kid. I saw what happened to Jonas. Just... just get the hell outta here. This whole thing makes me sick. He's got us chasing you instead of containing the radroaches, helping the people. Go, just, go."

Lloyd and Amata breathed a collective sigh of relief and turned to leave.

Park stepped forward. "Hey!" he called out. The two turned around, not knowing what to expect. He took off his belt and threw it to their feet. "Ammo," he said. "You'll need it more than me."

Wolfe did the same, only he tossed in a police baton. The two looked up at the officers, who gave small nods. Lloyd and Amata picked up the belts and turned to leave.

"I'm glad we didn't have to kill them..." she said.

Lloyd nodded, a grim look on his face. He looked back at her. "I don't want you to go... but I won't blame you if you want to turn back now. They'll be shutting the door behind us. I can't say if it'll ever open again."

Amata shook her head. "Don't convince me this is a bad idea now, Lloyd. Please. Let's just get out of here."

As they stepped into the cave, they saw a depressing sight: skeletons, sprawled out in front of the door. They had been there a long time, a very long time. They were holding signs in their decrepit hands. They said things like "HELP US" and "LET US IN MOTHERFUCKERS" and "WE'RE DYING ASSHOLES" in faded marker.

"My god... they died out here... starved to death..." Amata said.

"Or irradiated..." Lloyd added.

They looked up the tunnel and saw a wooden door, with light streaming through the few cracks.

Lloyd commented, "No turning back now."

Amata's hand found Lloyd's and gripped it tightly.

The giant cog slid closed behind them with a great and tremendous noise. Then, as the last waves of sound finished rumbling off of the stone walls, there was nothing left but silence and the sound of their breathing.

They walked, hand in hand, out the door, and were greeted with blinding light, a light more powerful than any fluorescent light in the vault. The light of the sun. Their eyes slowly adjusted.

Amata's grip grew tighter.

"Dear god..." Lloyd spoke, his voice just above a whisper.

They had always heard of the wasteland. Of what the people of the vault thought would be left behind from the Great War, but never could they have imagined the sheer scope of the destruction.

The wasteland was just that: a hellish waste of sand, dirt and rock. Destroyed buildings, massive structures that once stood complete were now nothing more than great wrecks of concrete and metal and scattered debris. Far off in the distance, they could see two structures, one rising tall and large, a spire of broken stone, and the other a rounded building not far away from it. Both stood out above the destroyed city which they knew to be Washington, D.C.

Never, in all of Lloyd's dreams, had this place looked so horrible. Desolate, empty... apocalyptic in every sense of the word.

He looked at Amata, and saw the fear in her eyes. He knew that both of them shared that fear, and the regret from leaving the vault. Despite today's events, it had been their home for their lives until this point. But now, they had taken their first few steps into the Capital Wasteland... and their first few steps into history.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	2. Welcome to Megaton, Enjoy your Stay

Jutting up from some rocks not too far away from the entrance to the cavern that led to Vault 101 was a metal prewar signpost. It was small and blue with white text. It read "Scenic Overlook" and beyond it was the blasted Capital Wasteland, sun-bleached and sucked dry, leaving only dust and death for over two centuries. Lloyd Freeman, one of the two most recent deserters of Vault 101, sat down on a rock not far from the sign. He found breathing difficult. The view was a lot to take in, and one could certainly describe it as scenic.

Not far away from him, Amata Almodovar, his counterpart and companion in leaving the vault, sat down on some rocks as well. Like Lloyd, she was experiencing some powerful emotions. Never before had either of them seen anything like this. They weren't sure whether or not to be awe-struck or terrified, but in truth they were both. The landscape itself was depressing, and it affected them as such. They could only imagine what horrible things the world had gone through to make the terrain look like this.

There was a small town nearby. Its only standing structures were burnt and wrecked, with large holes in the scorched walls. In many instances, only the bare skeleton of a wooden building remained. Further off, in the distance, there was a large bridge made of stone; likely an old highway. It was completely destroyed. Large sections of concrete road had fallen into the dried riverbed below, and all that stood were large stone pillars. Not very far away, they could see a large pile of rusted metal, rising above the horizon just beyond a few hills.

Perhaps the most defining things in the distance were two large structures that seemed to be standing. Far away, in the ruins of Washington D.C., still stood a great spire; the Washington Monument. There were holes in its side, and sunlight from the opposite side shown through. Not far away from it, also distinctive amidst the destroyed city's skyline, was a large building, with a rounded top; the Capitol Building.

They had read about numerous things in Mr. Brotch's; what had led up to it, the history of ancient United States, the government, what American life was like before the vaults, and all of it seemed to make what they were seeing that much more grim and bleak. They knew that this land was once bustling with people and green plants, wildlife and technological infrastructure. Now, all that remained was a shell of its former glory, cracked open and left to die by nuclear warfare.

For a short while, they merely sat in silence, observing the world in all its post-apocalyptic glory. Lloyd and Amata had only seen pictures of what the world once looked like, but they had never in their lives had they thought the damage would be this severe, this damaging. Lloyd recalled a painting of boats sailing on a blue ocean, with a bright sky and green grass on the land. 'What a contrast...' he thought.

Amata looked at Lloyd and opened her mouth to speak. But she didn't know what she could say. Eventually, a question came to her. "What now?" It seemed like the only thing she could ask.

He looked at her, uncertainty plaguing his eyes.

"I… don't really know." He cast his eyes once more out at the wasteland. "My father could be anywhere..." Lloyd said.

"I've heard that the world is a pretty big place," Amata said, her face forming a half-smile in a bit of forced humor.

Lloyd looked back at her with a smirk. "Yeah…"

They were both silent for another moment as the wind made soft sounds in the distance. It was something they were both unaccustomed to; then again, almost everything on the surface was new. She looked around. "Think he left tracks in the dirt?" she suggested. "Like an animal, from those books in class?"

Lloyd looked at the dusty earth below, the rocks and the dirt betraying no obvious signs. He shook his head. "I'm not really a tracker or a ranger, neither of us are. Besides," he spoke, tapping the rock he sat on, "what if he walked on solid rock? Or a road?"

They grew quiet once more. These periods of silence were starting to get to Lloyd. He felt like an open wound; weak and untended. He closed his eyes and let out a steadying sigh, focusing his thoughts. He wasn't going to start feeling helpless now. He had a gun, a bat and, most importantly, Amata with him. He looked at her and saw in her eyes the same worry that wracked him. "You know..." Lloyd began, making Amata look up at him. "All things considered... I'm glad that you're out here with me."

Their eyes met and each smiled. "You're lucky I didn't change my mind, because after seeing this... all of this... I have to admit, it's a little overwhelming." Amata reached over with her left hand to hold his. But as she reached, Lloyd's eyes widened. "Hey!" he said, grabbing her wrist.

"What, what is it?" She asked, standing up as he did.

"I got an idea," he said, and pointed to her Pip-Boy. "Sometimes I forget I'm even wearing this damn thing."

He let go and began accessing his own Pip-Boy on his left arm. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"That data I got from your father's terminal. It might help us out; it might have... something about the surface in it. Anything."

Amata nodded. "And we have pre-war maps of the area programmed into these things; I admit, a lot of landmarks and other things have probably changed, but at least if we get lost, we can find our way back to this spot."

He acknowledged her point as he brought up the information he had downloaded and began thumbing through it. After only a moment, he cried out in success, "Ah-hah!"

"What is it?" Amata asked.

"Surface scouting reports! And they're recent, by the date." This gave them both pause.

"My father... sent people out into the wasteland? And recently?" she inquired, disbelief in her voice.

Lloyd began reading it. "Yeah... it says here that they encountered... um..." he trailed off.

"What?" she asked.

"A giant ant," he answered.

"What? A giant ant? You mean like, the actual insect?" She had an ant farm once, as a child, so the thought of those small creatures made much larger, by radiation or some other cause, sent a small shiver through her spine.

He nodded, and turned his arm over, displaying a green picture. She looked at the photograph of the dead mutation that they had killed with gunfire. Sure enough, it was a picture from the surface of a large, deceased ant.

"Oh, wow..." she breathed. He withdrew his hand to continue reading. When he grew quiet and intent on reading it, she asked what it was saying now.

"It says here that they encountered a settlement of people... A friendly one, a town called Megaton. They traded with them, and there's a picture of it here. Hey... hold on a second..."

He walked over to the edge of the rocks and held up his Pip-Boy to compare it to something in the distance.

"What is it now?" she asked. "Do you see something?"

"Yeah..." he said, his arm dropping to his side, "Megaton."

"What? Where?"

Lloyd pointed. "There. That weird collection of metal in the distance... I thought that was just some kind of... I don't know, a dump of metal or scrap or something. The remnants of a factory, or something, I passed it off as being just another pile of scrap out here. But your father's computer says it's full of people." He looked at her. "Friendly people, unless this report is lying."

"Well that seems like a good place to start looking. Maybe your father is there right now?" she asked.

"I sure as hell wish he is, come on!" he said, and they started down a small trail. It led to a rough-looking road, full of cracks and rocks. "Think this leads to Megaton?" he asked.

"It leads into that small town there," she said, pointing at the destroyed suburban area nearby.

"I think I'd rather walk on the road than otherwise," Lloyd said, and she agreed. They noticed that the road did turn up ahead, so maybe it did lead to Megaton. They passed some destroyed vehicles, including one that seemed rather oddly shaped. It looked like a rocket ship, and it had a single seat to house one person. Lloyd and Amata paused to consider it, but as it was little more than a rusted scrap along the road, they kept moving.

As they entered the town, passing white fences and broken mail boxes situated in front of the scorched homes, they saw something up ahead. Amata noticed it first.

"What is that?" Amata pointed, stopping Lloyd. "It's... floating?"

A small, round-shaped object with a strange, stereo-like face and several metal antennae was floating towards them, blaring out a message.

_"I am your president, John Henry Eden. There are some things we should talk about."_

"Is that thing talking to us?" Amata asked.

Lloyd took a bit of a chance and said, "Hey! Can you hear me?" He asked.

It continued. The voice was distinct, slightly higher pitched and oddly soothing in its articulate, punctual manner. _"I've been thinking quite a bit lately about something we can all relate to, something that is unquestionably, inescapably, American."_ It turned around, floated back the way it came, and continued, _"I'm referring, of course, to our great, national pastime: Baseball."_

"It's some kind of propaganda message..." Lloyd said, listening as the machine continued its broadcast, floating in the other direction. "Maybe it's been here ever since the war..."

"Somehow I doubt that," Amata said. "Can a... what is this, a robot? Can a robot-radio thing keep itself going that long without maintenance?"

"Maybe they were built to last..." he offered, not sure of what else to say.

"Let's leave it here then, it's not doing anything." Amata turned and saw something. "Lloyd!"

"What is it?" He followed her gaze to a propped-up piece of rusty sheet metal. Painted on it was the word MEGATON and an arrow.

"Ha-ha! That's what I like to see!" Lloyd said. "C'mon!"

They reached the end of the road, as it was thoroughly destroyed and only dirt remained beyond that point, but they saw a clear path to Megaton. It looked like some kind of large, metal makeshift gate along the rusty wall which surrounded the community. They began running, experiencing the first feelings of elation and hope since they came to the surface. As they neared it, however, they heard a loud, definitive voice, amplified by some kind of device, shout out at them, "Hold! You two approaching, hold!"

They slowed down and stopped, nearly out of breath, and stood less than twenty meters away from three people, a strange bipedal robot and a two-headed cow with a large pack placed upon its backside. Not far away from the three native wastelanders standing near the robot and mutant were the corpses of two giant ants.

For a moment, both parties didn't say anything. One of the three stepped forward, a man with a dirty bandana over his head and an eye patch covering his right eye. He wore a faded leather vest over a red shirt. He seemed to consider the two strange jumpsuit-wearing vault dwellers for a moment with a mistrusting eye.

"Well howdy there!" he spoke, suddenly very cheery. When they said nothing, unsure of what to make of him, he continued anyway and approached. "Well whoo-eee! Lookit you two. Now I ain't seen one o' those vault jumpsuits in, wow, a long time! Pretty darn good condition, too." He pointed to his chest with his thumb. "Name's Billy Creel, but go right ahead an' just call me Billy."

Lloyd cleared his throat and spoke up. "Uh, yeah, um... I'm Lloyd. Lloyd Freeman. And this is Amata Almodovar. We, uh... just left the vault."

Billy's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Hot damn, you just left? When? Today?"

They nodded.

"Well goddamn, I get to be your official welcoming party!" He smiled and moved up to them, holding his arms out. "Welcome to the Capital Wasteland, newbies!" he said as he reached them, clasping them both on the shoulder. "I've never met anyone from the vault before. What's it like down there, anyway?"

Lloyd looked to Amata, then back to Billy. "Well, uh... it's cleaner, I guess."

Billy laughed, swatting his leg. "Hey, that's good! I like that! Hey, Crow! C'mere!" he called out, waving the man standing near the strange mutated cattle over. Crow, as he was apparently named, adjusted the baseball cap atop his head and walked over. "These two are fresh outta the vault!"

"Really?" Crow said, turning to consider them. He wore leather clothing as well, an armored suit with various straps and buckles, and a rifle was strapped to his back. "Welcome, welcome!" he said in greeting. "My name is Crow, and I travel the land offering vestments of protection. And you are fortunate I found you both in time. You," he said, pointing at Lloyd, "bare the look of one who is haunted. But I'm pleased to say that my wears can protect you from even the cold claws of death itself!"

Billy nudged him. "Shut your mouth already, Crow. Quit plugging your wares, now, they prob'ly don't even have any caps."

Lloyd looked at Billy. "Caps?"

"Yeah, caps. You know. Bottle caps? It's money," Billy answered. "Well, up here it is."

Lloyd's mind suddenly went back to the hidden hole he had found in his father's office during his escape. He reached into his Tunnel Snakes jacket pocket and pulled out the small velvet bag he had found. It made a jingling noise as the caps inside rubbed together.

"What's that?" Amata asked. Lloyd opened up the bag and showed the curious Billy what was inside.

"Hot damn! This kid's got more'n two hundred caps in here! Where'd you get these, son?" he asked.

"Yeah, where? I didn't see you pick them up," Amata inquired.

"I... found them while we were escaping," Lloyd answered her.

"Hold up, hold up, escaping? That's diff'rent than leaving. You two weren't allowed ta leave?"

"Not… exactly," Lloyd answered and immediately dodged the direction of the conversation by saying, "But are you telling me that I can buy things with these?" he asked as he held up the bag.

"Well, maybe food and water for a few days, but not much else. What else you got on ya?" Billy asked.

Shooting a quick glance at Amata, he began listing off what they currently had. "We've got a pistol, some ammo, some medicine, a baton and a bat, and a baseball," he said, pulling out the ball he had taken from his room.

"Hey, I'll buy that off ya!" Billy said.

Lloyd looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

"Yeah! That's a nice ball, and Maggie could use a good new toy. Hell, got a glove? Those are hard to find these days. They don't exactly have little leagues around here anymore, what with the death, and nukes an' all. Be nice to have a matching pair."

"I'm sorry, who's Maggie?" Amata asked him.

"Oh! Pardon me, I'm sorry," Billy said. "Maggie's a little girl I picked up a few years back. Her parents had been killed by raiders, and I found her hiding under the bed in the room where they had shot them dead. We've been together ever since."

"Wait, I'm sorry, what was she killed by?" Lloyd asked, slipping the ball back into his jacket pocket.

Billy paused. "...Raiders. You know, wasteland warriors? Biggest goddamn buncha assholes you ever did see?"

Lloyd shook his head. "We're... new to the... ways of the wasteland, if you will."

"Oh shoot, I forgot that you didn't leave that there vault, you escaped. Prob'ly didn't have a lot of time ta read up on what's goin' on in the outside world, eh? Well... let's see, how best to put it... Not ev'rybody in the world today is as nice and charming and handsome as the good folk a' Megaton. In fact, a lotta the people... Jus' sorta lost it, and now they're raiders. They attack innocent people, kill'em for food and water, and steal and... And hell, they're some'a the worst damn people you could imagine."

"Why would they do those things?" Amata asked. "Can't they just talk their problems over and find a better solution?"

Billy shook his head. "I'm sorry ta say that the world isn't quite like that anymore, missy. Raiders see something they want, and goddamnit, nothin's gonna stop'em from takin' it. They just don't give a shit who they hurt or kill. And hell... some of 'em get real bad. Trading slaves, killing children, and the... the things they do to the women they catch... hell, you haven't a clue how lucky I was to find Maggie as a living little girl and not..." He trailed off and shuttered.

"Maybe I should get you inside, we'll talk more in there," he said, motioning for them to follow.

Crow waved them away. "Nice meeting you two! Hope you don't die and we can do business some day!" His message was met with a grim stare from Billy, who shook his head and led them up to the town.

"Don't mind Crow now, he's just a merchant. Not a very tactful one, mind you." They stepped past the robot, a bipedal creation with a light-up head. It spoke in an electronic monotone.

"Welcome to Megaton, pard-ners. Enjoy your stay."

"This here's Deputy Weld, our own personal protectron-class robot," Billy explained.

"Hey, this has been kinda annoying me," Lloyd said, "but what's with the two-headed cow over there with the backpack?"

"Oh, that's just a brahmin. You find 'em all over. They make for good eatin', good milk and good transport for the supply caravans. Beasts of burden, you know?"

"Shame it looks so ugly," Amata said. Lloyd had to admit it, the mottled skin with sores, engorged utters and the fact that it had two heads was rather hard to get past.

Billy shouted up to a sniper standing on a catwalk above the main gate, the one who had called out for Lloyd and Amata to halt, telling him to let them in. A moment later, a loud noise was heard as a massive turbine engine, built into the city walls, flared up and began spinning, powering a jury-rigged mechanical process that pulled two large scraps of metal that were once the wings of a commercial airliner aside, revealing a large metal door behind them. As Billy was about to usher them in, Lloyd saw someone who sat near that door.

It was an older man, scrappy-looking and poor, with dirty clothing and filthy hair. He was coughing loudly, which is what drew Lloyd's attention. Amata and Billy looked back as Lloyd approached him.

"Are you all right?" Lloyd asked, his nurturing nature as a doctor's son showing. The man looked up at him with sympathetic eyes, as pathetic and helpless a man could be.

"Please... please help me... I need water... I'm dying!" he spoke, his voice dry and cracking.

"Will any water do?" Lloyd asked, kneeling down and taking out his medical pack. He had some water inside it.

"I've been drinking this irradiated shit and I... I just can't do it now, I throw it up... I need purified water, clean... please help me..." he coughed again.

Without thinking, Lloyd took out two plastic bottles of clean, pure water and handed them to the man. "Take these."

The man looked at the water, then at Lloyd. Billy shared the man's surprised face. Not far away, Crow and his caravan bodyguard watched as well, curiosity getting the better of them.

"You, you serious? I can't, I can't repay you with, well anything, you know!" the man said, rising hope in his voice. "I can just, I can just have it, for free?"

Lloyd nodded. "I insist. It's the least I can do, and you need it much more than I do."

"Really, truly, seriously? My god... thank you!" he said, taking the bottles and holding them to his chest like a treasured artifact. "You've saved my life, stranger, I'll—I'll never forget this!"

Lloyd smiled. "Drink them slowly, and make them last. If you ever need more, find me. I'll try to help."

"Bless you, stranger, bless you!" he cried. Lloyd stood up, nodded at the man and walked back to the astonished Billy and smiling Amata.

"Lloyd, that was generous," she said.

"Jesus, you just gave pure water away for nothing!" Billy said.

Lloyd looked at him. "Not for nothing," he said, "maybe he wasn't dying, but now I know he won't for a longer while."

Billy's face got grim. "Look, I'm not gonna tell you two how ta live out here, but... well, fuck, how's the best way ta say it..." he thought for a moment. "I wouldn't'a done that if I were you."

"Why? Is Lloyd in trouble?" Amata asked with concern.

Billy shook his head. "No, no, not yet, not until ya get thirsty yourself."

Amata and Lloyd exchanged confused looks. Billy sighed.

"Look... clean water, like you got there? It's hard to come by. Really hard. Most of the water is contaminated nowadays. It's dirty, cloudy n' shit, and it tastes something awful. It'll make you sick n' kill ya after a while. Medicine helps keep the radiation down, ya see. But clean water? That's like gold in these parts."

"Aren't the rivers and oceans clean?" Amata asked.

Billy shook his head. "The whole world went to hell, and we've gotta deal with what's left. The radiation ain't never gonna leave us. The rads live in the water, and they're not goin' anywhere. Now, like I said, I were you two... I'd keep that clean water for myself."

Lloyd stepped forward. "While others die of dehydration?" he spoke in a serious tone.

Billy was silent. "If that's what it takes to survive, Lloyd boy. Life ain't full'a easy choices."

Lloyd looked back at the poor man, who was drinking up the clean water, savoring every drop. He looked back at Billy.

"Not for nothing," he repeated.

Billy shook his head and led them inside.

Megaton was larger than it appeared from the outside. It was more of a large pit with walls built around it, and the buildings inside were shacks atop shacks. Walkways, walls, everything was made of rusty metal held together in such a way that Lloyd questioned their structural security. Large pipes ran around, carrying water, and he saw one with a sprung leak. Old vehicles, scavenged metal, everything you could imagine was used to build this town. And the people, there were people everywhere, dressed in a wide variety of outfits. Some jumpsuits, some leather, some simple clothing. Everything was dirty. The walls, the people, even the air seemed filthy.

And yet, it had a kind of charm to it. This place was built by people, good people, who wanted nothing more than a home to live in. It was a community, in every sense of the word. The people traded, worked together, and protected each other from the dangers of the wasteland.

All of this Lloyd could tell from his first look at Megaton. He liked it already and both he and Amata felt safer behind walls than being out in the open.

Billy saw someone and waved. "Hey, sheriff!" he called out. A man further down looked up, and walked up a metal staircase towards Billy. He had dark, worn skin and wore a brown trench coat and a cowboy hat, and on his chest was a golden star. As he approached, he noticed the two former vault dwellers.

"Well now, I haven't seen one of those jumpsuits in a long time." He extended his hand towards Lloyd. "Name's Lucas Simms, town sheriff, and mayor when the need arises." As Lloyd shook his hand, he tipped his hat to Amata in greeting. "I don't know why, but I like you two. Something tells me you're both alright. So welcome to Megaton! Just holler if either of you need anything."

"It's a nice town you've got here, sheriff, and it's a pleasure to meet you," Lloyd said, shaking the sheriff's hand.

"A pleasure," Amata said, taking the sheriff's hand to shake it as well.

"Friendly and well-mannered? I think we're gonna get along just fine. You treat my people fine, don't make any trouble, and you're both welcome to stay as long as you like."

"Right. Message received," Amata replied.

Lucas smiled. "I'm glad we three understand each other. Now, where are you two from?"

"These two just got outta that vault nearby, like I said," Billy said, "and... I don't really know why. I guess 'cause I didn't ask. Why did you two leave? Oh! That's right, you didn't leave, you escaped! What'd ya mean by that, anyhow?"

Lloyd cleared his throat. "We uh, left because..." He looked to Amata for support, and she urged him on. He looked back at Billy and Lucas. "We left to find my father."

"Your father?" Billy asked. "He leave too?"

"He escaped, too," Lloyd clarified. "He didn't tell anyone he was going. He just... left and I have to know why. Sheriff," he turned to Lucas, "I'm looking for him, and I wondered if he passed through here. Middle-aged guy, wears a jumpsuit, maybe a white lab coat? He has a beard, strong jawline, brown hair, kinda graying..." Lloyd said, struggling to find descriptive words.

Lucas shook his head. "Nope, sorry. I got enough fires to put out in this town to keep tabs and everyone who comes and goes."

"Fires? Can I help?" Lloyd asked. Lucas laughed.

"It's just a metaphor, kid. Metal don't burn so easy, and most fires start from Moira's experiments, and she's always quick to put them out. Strange lady, that one," he said.

Lloyd looked around the town, at the various shacks and survivors. "Sheriff, could tell me about this town?" he asked.

"Well, whaddaya wanna know?"

"Well, one, why's it called Megaton?" he asked.

"The town's named for the bomb that's in the middle of it. It hasn't gone off... yet," he answered. Lloyd looked past and saw the bomb, then, in the center of the pit of Megaton. It was large, round, and had a square tail. It was half-buried in the ground, and a puddle surrounded it. Lloyd looked at Lucas.

"Don't you think someone should disarm that thing?"

Lucas shook his head. "I don't trust any of the locals to tinker around with it. Plus, most people don't even realize it's still a threat. And hell, Cromwell and his crazies from the Church of Atom worship the damn thing, literally."

Concern showed in Lloyd's face as he looked out at the bomb. When he saw it, he couldn't help but think of the damage it could cause. Those bombs, those weapons of atomic destruction and devastation, had nearly destroyed the entire world. This one could destroy all of Megaton.

"I think I can disarm it."

Lucas, Billy and Amata all looked at him in surprise.

"What? You think you got the knowhow?" Lucas asked.

Lloyd looked over. "I can disarm it," he repeated. Lucas rubbed his chin with his hand, deep in thought.

"You some kind of engineer?" Billy asked.

"Something like that," Lloyd responded.

"Well, alright, fine," Lucas said. "Just look here; go slow. Be easy. Don't blow us all the hell up. If you can disarm it, I'll see a reward of about… Hmm. Just got a small haul in yesterday. I got about a hundred caps leftover you can have."

Lloyd's eyebrows perked up. "Oh, I don't really need a reward," he said. "I just don't want everyone in here to die from a bomb, you know."

"Well, that's mighty decent of you," Lucas said. "You're sure? Caps are important, you know."

"I just want to disarm the bomb," Lloyd said.

Lucas considered Lloyd for a moment, then smiled. "I knew I liked you boy. You're all right."

Amata pulled on Lloyd's arm to get his attention. They walked off a short distance from Lucas and Billy to talk in private.

"Lloyd, we're here to find your father, not fix every problem we come across," she said. "Not that I'm not impressed with selflessness, but maybe Billy has a point. People out here aren't like people in the vault."

"What're you worried might happen?" he asked.

"You know I know a lot about people. Sociology and psychology; it was part of preparing for my father's job. I just don't want us to be fooled or exploited out here, Lloyd."

He took hold of her hand. "I understand where you're coming from, Amata, I do. But that bomb could kill every single person here. There are good people here, like Billy. I have to make sure that doesn't happen."

Amata was taken aback. "But, your father..."

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry, I know why we're here." He squeezed her hand encouragingly, and turned to face Lucas.

"Sheriff, I need, absolutely need, to know if you saw anyone. Finding my father is paramount. And I'm helping you now, after all. Please tell me if you know anything at all."

Lucas took off his hat and scratched his head.

"Well, come to think of it, I do remember a stranger coming through here... Didn't get a chance to talk to him. He had a look in his eyes. You know the kind a man gets when he's got a purpose? Spent some time up in the saloon. I'd check with Moriarty. Just watch yourself, that man's nothing but trouble."

"Hell, the saloon? I go there all the time! I'll show ya there," Billy said. "And hell, I'll give you a tour around town while I'm at it!" He motioned for them to follow him. They both nodded at Lucas, who responded in kind, before they moved after Billy, who talked as he walked.

"Alright. Down at the bottom of these stairs is the clinic. Doc's an asshole, but he'll fix you up right good if you need it. Across from him is the Brass Lantern, where some of the best eating you'll ever have is served up nice. Up from the clinic is Craterside Supplies, Moira's place. She's the smartest person in this town, even though she's pretty damn odd. Up past her is the town water processing plant. Old Walter runs the place, but he's had some trouble recently. Since you're so good at volunteering to help people you don't know, maybe you should pay him a visit. Couple'a other buildings you should know about is the Church of Atom, and most of the houses on the left side'a town are just homes. Up there is the common house, full'a beds for people who don't have homes o' their own."

"Big place," Amata commented.

"Keeps getting' bigger all the time," Billy said. "Anywho, lemme show you the saloon. It's up there," he pointed to a building built high atop the rim of the pit, at the base of the town wall. "Now, a fair warning," he said, looking back at Lloyd, "is don't let Moriarty, if you meet him, take advantage of your good nature. That man's scum, don't you let him fool you into doing nothing you don't like."

Lloyd nodded. "Just take me there. I've got a way with words; I think I can handle him."

Billy sighed and shook his head. "You gotta lot ta learn about outside life, kid. Havin' honeyed words is nice an' all but they don't always go too far."

Amata held Lloyd back for a moment. "Hey Lloyd, I think I'd like to check out more of the town while you go into the saloon with Billy. Is that alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure, of course," Lloyd answered. Amata smiled and departed. Before she went, Lloyd stopped her and handed her the baseball bat. "Take it," he said. "Just in case."

She took the back and turned to walk away.

"Hey listen kid, I gotta go find Maggie. You can find the saloon yourself alright, right?" he asked. Lloyd nodded. "Alright then, hero," Billy said with a smart-aleck tone and departed.

Lloyd started up on his path to the saloon, walking atop shacks with metal ramps and walkways built along their roofs.

Amata, meanwhile, walked around to see more of this fascinating place. She had only known life inside the vault. But this place was full of people who had lived a life so different and so unique compared to hers up until this point. She simply had to know more!

She saw two people sitting on stools in front of some kind of bar, the Brass Lantern that Billy had pointed out. A nice-looking woman with fair-styled hair wearing a yellow jumpsuit was cleaning the metal surface. Not far away, a man was standing next to the large atomic bomb, preaching something about the glorious "Atom" and his ways. Amata went to sit down at the bar.

The woman spoke to her.

"Now I know I've never seen you in Megaton before. I'm Jenny, Jenny Stahl," she greeted her with a smile. "Lemme guess: just passing through, right?"

Amata paused for a moment to think. "I'm not sure."

"We get people trying to settle down here all the time, but usually they move on. Anyway, if you're hungry you came to the right place. Need something to much on?"

Amata looked to her left, seeing two settlers eating food. One was enjoying some soup with meat in it, and the other was eating meat off of a smooth wooden stick. She looked back to Jenny.

"I'm not too hungry at the moment," Amata said.

"That's alright, nothing I've got is fresh, and most of this stuff won't fill you up much anyway," Jenny spoke as she wiped the bar clean. "So, where'd you pick up that jumpsuit?"

"I, that is, my friend and I, we just, uh, got out of the vault," she answered.

"Really now?" Jenny said, picking up a glass and wiping that too. "Right outta the vault, eh? They got good food in there? Clean water?" Amata nodded. "Sounds nice."

The man eating the soup threw down his spoon then, having finished. Audibly, he said, "Fucking pampered vault assholes." He got up to pay Jenny, and Amata got a good look at him. He wore a dark outfit with a machine gun strapped to his back and a closely-shaved hairstyle. One of his eyes was covered with an eye patch, like Billy.

He stormed off.

"Um, what's his problem?" Amata asked.

"That's Jericho, and he's always got a problem about everything," Jenny said. "Don't worry about him. Between you and me," she said, leaning close, "he's an ex-raider. Lives here in town because he got sick of it."

Amata turned away from Jenny to consider the departing Jericho. 'He's a raider?' she thought. Her mind went back to the things Billy had said about raiders. Inwardly, she shuddered. She knew she didn't like Jericho already.

"So, what brings you outta the vault?" Jenny asked, regaining Amata's attention.

"Oh... we're looking for my friend's father," she answered.

"His father? Why'd his dad leave?"

"We... don't know," Amata said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Oh. Sorry to hear that," Jenny said. The man sitting next to Amata got up and left, but suddenly his seat was replaced by an elderly woman with rough skin and a white robe-like outfit.

"Hello Jenny," she spoke. "I'd like some iguana bits, if you please." She slid five caps over the table.

"Coming right up, Manya," Jenny responded, opening up the refrigerator nearby. The woman turned to consider Amata.

"Well hello there dearie, how are you?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"Hi, I'm Amata Almodovar," she spoke.

"Almodovar? What an interesting name. Is it African?" Maya spoke. Like Amata, she too was dark of skin, though Amata's tone was lighter than the world-weary woman who sat beside her now.

"I don't know about my name," Amata told her. "I wish I did. I studied old continents and countries when I was growing up in the vault. But my father tells me I'm from Hispanic descent, actually."

Manya gasped. "You're from the vault? The one nearby, what is it? 101?" Amata nodded. "So have they finally opened up to us and the rest of the wastes, then?"

Amata's gaze fell away. "Um... not exactly."

"Oh," Manya said. "Well, you're outside now, and that's all that matters. Let me just welcome you to Megaton. If you ever need anything, just let me know."

"Actually," Amata started, "I had some questions. Given your age, you might know some of the answers, or all of them, I hope."

Jenny placed the bits of lizard flesh on a small plate before Manya, but the elder ignored them.

"Oh, certainly, certainly!" she spoke. "Tell me what you seek, child."

Amata looked over at the man in the puddle suddenly as he began shouting and proclaiming the glory of the coming of Atom, going into a long, passionate speech about his religious worship of the bomb.

"Who is that person?" Amata asked.

Manya smiled. "Oh, that's just Cromwell. He's the head of the Church of Atom. They're harmless, really. Personally, I think the radiation from the water he's standing in got to him a long time ago."

Shaking her head, she looked back at Manya. "I actually was wondering if you could, by chance, tell me more about this town. I want to know everything I can."

"Anything specific?" Maya asked.

"The history of this place, if you please," Amata said with a smile.

* * *

Lloyd opened up the metal door to Moriarty's Saloon. It was dark inside, with minimal lighting provided and only some streaks of sunlight coming through holes in the imperfectly welded metal walls and some dim light bulbs. The first sight Lloyd was greeted with was a strange one.

A man, at least, Lloyd thought him a man, was banging on a radio that was emitting static sound. He stood behind the bar, as apparently he was the bartender. But the man had no skin. Quite literally, no skin at all. His flesh was not burnt or black, but red and sickly-looking yellow flesh. Muscles, nerves and some bone showed. His head was almost devoid of hair; only small tufts of it remained. His nose was gone, only skeletal nostrils with flesh covering them remained. He wore a gray shirt and brown pants.

His eyes were striking, pure black with blue irises. When he spoke, it was in a gravelly, rasping voice. "Eh, come on you piece'a junk, work! Every day it's the same damn thing..."

A woman leaning up against the wall in front of the end of the bar took a breath of her cigarette and then spoke in a smooth, relaxed voice as she blew out the smoke. "I told you Gob, it's not the radio. The Enclave station comes in just fine. It's Galaxy News; their signal's been shit lately."

"Son of a bitch... why, won't, you, work..." he muttered, pounding once more on the radio. The red-haired woman walked away to another corner of the room. Lloyd approached the bar, and the apparently-named Gob looked up at him.

"Hey, smoothskin. You need something? A drink maybe? Anything? Anything at all?" he asked, unhesitating. His voice seemed to assume a degree of hostility on Lloyd's part.

Lloyd was still taken aback by this... man. Lloyd was certain he was a man, anyway. "I'll... have to think about it," he replied.

"Wait..." Gob started, his bleak eyes widening, "you're not gonna hit me? Berate me? Not even yell at me a little bit?"

Lloyd was once more taken aback. "I... hadn't planned on doing those things, no."

Gob leaned back, a surprised look on his features. "Well now, that's a surprise. I'm used to every asshole smoothskin in this town giving me shit just because I look like a corpse. I'm glad to see that there're a few worthwhile people around here. Listen... Moriarty'd have my head if he caught me selling at a discount, but for you, I'll risk it."

"Oh... that's nice, but perhaps unnecessary. I don't really drink... well, drinks that one gets served in a bar," Lloyd said.

"Well the offer's up if you ever change your mind, kid," Gob told him.

Lloyd nodded. "What are you, Gob?" he asked. Gob looked up.

"What? Never seen a ghoul before? Honestly?" he asked.

"I just came out of a vault," Lloyd told him. "New to the wasteland. My name is Lloyd."

"Wow..." Gob said. "Wish I were born in a vault. Well, I was like you once, you know, normal. Then one day I got too stupid and got exposed to way too much radiation. Ghouls are pretty common, kid, but most of them aren't... like me. Civilized. You know. Most are just... feral."

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked.

The woman walked over and sat down. Lloyd got a good look at her for the first time. Pretty face, nice legs, and an outfit made to reveal what she's got, especially her chest. Lloyd didn't know a lot about the wasteland, or outside life, but he did know what a prostitute was. She definitely looked like one.

"Ever hear of a zombie, kid?" she said, puffing on her cigarette. "Feral ghouls are like them. Mindless, hungry, walking corpses. No offense, Gob," she said.

"None taken, Nova."

"Where'd you come from?" Lloyd asked Gob.

"A place called Underworld. It's a ghoul city down in the D.C. ruins. I came up to find fortune and adventure, and, well... I found this place. I'm sort of stuck here. Colin says I can't leave until I pay off my debts to him. Of course, he also charges me room and board, too. If you ever get out to Underworld, tell Carol that I said hi for me."

Lloyd was sorry to hear about Gob, and wished he could help him. Gob's case seemed rather irreversible, though. Lloyd fixed his gaze on the ghoul again. "I'm looking for my father. Middle-aged guy; might have been wearing a jumpsuit like mine. Have you seen him? Lucas said that he saw him come in here."

"Oh yeah! I do remember a guy like that." Upon hearing that, Lloyd's ears perked up. "Honestly, I try to keep my head down. I tend to get smacked around if I look customers in the eyes. But I saw a guy talk to Moriarty; he'll know more."

"That's Colin? Where is he?" Lloyd asked.

Gob looked around, then spoke to Nova. "Hey Nova, where's the boss?"

Nova took another drag on her cigarette before talking. "In his room, Gob. He's busy."

"Well go get him, please," Lloyd said.

"Nuh-uh kid, Moriarty doesn't like being disturbed when he's in his room. Just wait for him to come out," she said. "Find something to do in the meantime." She cocked an eyebrow up, suggesting what that activity could be. He ignored her.

"Gob, please, if you know anything, you need to tell me," he said.

Gob sighed. "I was like you once... I wandered into town looking for an escape from this stupid joke of a body I'm trapped in. Now look at me... Alright. Moriarty keeps a terminal in the back. On it, he's got all the goings on in Megaton. If you can get on that terminal, you can probably learn all about your dad. You didn't hear this from me, smoothskin. If Moriarty finds out it was me, I'm a dead ghoul."

Lloyd looked over at Nova. "What do you know about his terminal?"

She let out a dour chuckle. "That stupid little thing is his pride and joy. He keeps all of his dirty little secrets on it, everything that goes on in this dirty little godforsaken town. I once leaned on his shoulder while he was typing in it. He got pissed off and pushed me to the ground. That's why I don't bother him inside his room anymore."

Lloyd shook his head and rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Look, it's really important to me that I get on that terminal. Please, could you help me?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I'll help ya. Then Moriarty kicks my sweet ass out the door. Sorry kid, it's not worth the shitstorm it'll bring on me. If you wanna know more, Moriarty's the one who's gonna help ya."

"I need to get on that terminal," Lloyd told her, his tone serious and quiet.

"Yeah, and? So does ninety percent of Megaton, especially Lucas Simms. Look kid, I like you. But you're gonna hafta learn that you can't stick your head out too far in this world, or it's liable to get cut right off. I'm sorry," she said in a soothing, almost mocking tone.

Lloyd's brow furrowed in frustration. "I'm done talking to you," he said.

She smirked. "Take care of yourself, hun. Come see me sometime if you ever feel like becoming a man." With that, she turned and walked back to the other side of the room.

Lloyd's hand curled into a fist in frustration, but he kept his calm as best he could. Gob leaned over. "I'm sorry about her."

"Forget about it," Lloyd told him, and turned to leave.

"Vault dweller," someone called out to get his attention. Lloyd turned, seeing a man he hadn't noticed before sitting in the corner of the room at a table, beckoning Lloyd over. The man wore a nice white suit and a hat atop his tilted head, along with a pair of dark sunglasses. Gob immediately turned around and busied himself with something else.

Cautiously, Lloyd approached.

"Please, please, sit down," the man said. "I wish to speak with you."

Lloyd sat down across from him and regarded him with a curious eye. The fellow took a small sip of his drink and studied the nineteen-year-old from behind his shades with inquisitive eyes.

"My, my. Just when I had all but given up hope. My dear boy, I am very happy to make your acquaintance. I... am Mister Burke," he introduced himself. He spoke sharply and quietly. His voice was incredibly distinct, and Lloyd didn't know if he liked it. There was an underlying tone to his voice, one of venom and deceit. Lloyd didn't feel comfortable around this man. He added, "And you, well, you are not a resident of this... putrescent cesspool. And that makes you a rather valuable individual."

"It does?" Lloyd asked. He knew he didn't like some of the adjectives Burke had used in his previous statement.

Burke leaned closer. "Don't you see? You're a free agent! You have no ties here, no interests in this settlement's affairs. Megaton means nothing to you. You could come and go as you please. Nothing to be lost if something were to happen."

Lloyd didn't like where this was going, but he didn't leave.

"I represent certain... interests... who view town, this "Megaton," as a rather large blight on a burgeoning urban landscape. If this settlement were to... go away... why, who would really care? Certainly not you, and not I..."

Lloyd was catching on to his meaning. "You plan on getting everyone to move somewhere else and knock it down?"

Burke chuckled. "No, but please, keep your voice down… no need to have other people poking their nose into our conversation. Now, I overheard you near the bar. A resident of the vault, yes? I can't image you have much on your person at the moment, such as money. I've been in this town a short while, looking for an admirable candidate to enter into a deal with."

"What kind of deal?" Lloyd asked.

"The kind that would land you in a very wealthy position with many benefits, if you play the game right," Burke replied, taking another drink. "You see, there are… obstacles, if you will, to overcome in the task I've set before myself. It's all part of a long-term goal, you see. I've always found it important to work towards something important; to dedicate your life to an ideal, and fight every day to get closer to that goal. Do you understand my meaning?"

Lloyd didn't move much, but took a moment to nod. Lloyd, and Burke, didn't know, but they were being observed. Across the room, a man in a brown coat with a fedora atop his head was sitting with his back to them, drinking, but listening very keenly. Blocking out all of the other sounds, he carefully picked up every word of Lloyd's talk with Burke.

"Perhaps we should loosen up a bit. Care for a drink? My treat," Burke offered.

"Don't have a tongue for it," Lloyd replied.

"Ah well, not everyone does. But that's alright, I'd prefer you to be at full attention for our conversation anyway. Now, I don't enjoy beating around the bush, as it were. I'm looking for a right-hand man, someone who has the guts for glory and the will to succeed."

"And what does that have to do with Megaton?"

"I mentioned a long-term goal, did I not? Well, as you apparently just crawled out of the hole in the ground you've been living in, you might not be as privy to the ways of the wasteland as I. There are dark places out there, my boy. I've seen some of the worst humanity has to offer in this regard… slavers, raiders, feral men driven to madness and death. But there are two sides to every coin. I represent a community of progressive individuals dedicated to taking back the wasteland, to bringing civilization back to its former glory. We work towards a brighter future. Does this sound interesting so far?"

"So far," Lloyd replied.

"Good, very good. These long-term goals are hampered by communities such as the one you and I are sitting in at this moment. These people are little more than glorified squatters with hardly a modicum of civility among them. The town sheriff tries to run everything through a crude system of "wasteland justice" that's more barbaric than fair. The owner of this very saloon cons people; cheats them and uses them against their will. I'd like your help in… solving the problem this town presents."

Lloyd considered his words. Sheriff Lucas seemed like a nice enough man, but then again, Lloyd had only just met him. "How exactly would that be done? Put new people in charge? Move the people of Megaton somewhere else?"

Burke chuckled. "Haha, no, I'm afraid that this town is a little too far-gone. Its people, unaccustomed to change that they can't see as positive. They're poor, and holding onto the meager life they've been living. They won't just up and move. But, here's the worst thing that plagues them and what, ultimately, would make it impossible to work with them… ignorance."

"Ignorance of what?"

"Ignorance of what's best for mankind, my boy. These people don't realize the long-term damage they'd cause. They come here, breed, try to live an "honest" life… but in the end, they only breed suffering and live in pain. Meanwhile, my community thrives, taking practices, logical steps in reclaiming the wasteland and making it habitable once more. The people of Megaton aren't progressive. I've studied them. Ignorance thrives in a place like this. Towns like this hold society, as a whole, from healing and returning to the glory it once possessed."

Lloyd blinked a few times as his words sunk in. "…What exactly are you suggesting, then?"

Burke's tone grew more silent as he laid out his plans. "The undetonated device for which this town is named is still very... much alive. All it needs is a little... motivation. I have in my possession, a fusion pulse charge. Once rigged, will be detonated... by you... at a secure location. In return, safety and security are two things guaranteed for your future. Wealth, and other benefits, at your fingertips. I've a number of resources on hand, and you'd be privy to them. If you play along."

At that, Lloyd was deathly silent. His eyes scanned Burke, and likewise, Burke studied the young man very carefully. It seemed like Lloyd was considering his options. Though the youth couldn't see it, underneath the table Burke kept his hand over the silenced pistol strapped to his thigh. The man knew he had taken a risk in revealing his intent to the vault dweller, but nobody else in town showed the kind of prospect he did. Lloyd, conversely, let his eyes drift down a little as he listened to the thoughts in his head.

Though Burke was a very collected man, he couldn't help but be a little unnerved by Lloyd's silence. Finally, he prodded him with a simple, "Well?"

Lloyd's eyes darted back up to his. He swallowed and replied, "Give me the charge."

A wide smile formed in Burke's lips. "What a wise young man you turned out to be." Taking his hand off of his pistol, he reached into his coat pocket and produced a small metal device with wires coming off of it. "Now, all you need to do is attach this to the central mainframe, and meet me southwest of here. I live atop a spire of civilization known as Tenpenny Tower. Well out of harm's way from the blast. There, you'll receive your very worthwhile reward."

Burke placed the fusion pulse charge on the table and Lloyd took it without hesitation, sliding it into his pocket. Burke stood and smiled. "I think our business is concluded then, Lloyd, was it? I eagerly look forward to your results."

"Are you leaving town immediately?" Lloyd asked.

"I have a small room rented here I need to collect a few things from. I'll be leaving afterwards. Remember: southwest. Tenpenny Tower. You can't miss it."

Lloyd nodded, and with a pat on the back from Burke, the man walked out of the saloon, leaving Lloyd behind, who let out a heavy sigh to settle his nerves.

Time to act.

Lloyd was out of there immediately, running to find the sheriff as soon as he was outside the saloon. His heart was racing a little. Though he didn't notice it, the fellow in the trench coat got up and followed him outside, taking a scoped magnum out from the inside of his coat. He watched Lloyd, observing his movements from a distance as the youth ran. He kept his gun at his side purely out of curiosity in regards to why he was running.

Lloyd suddenly and very nearly crashed into Amata as he turned to descend a flight of stairs. "Lloyd! I was just on my way up to the saloon," she said, then noticed he had been running. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"I'm sorry, I need to find the sheriff," he said, pushing past her.

"What? Why? What's wrong?" she asked, running after him.

Lucas was near the entrance, talking to a settler. Lloyd ran up to him, out of breath.

"Woah, woah, where's the fire?" Lucas asked with a smile.

"This entire town'll be nothing but fire if we don't do something," Lloyd said. Lucas' smile faded.

"And what do you mean by that, boy?" he asked.

Lloyd pulled out the charge, and struggled to breathe easy. Amata ran up behind him.

"I met a man named Burke, in the saloon," he panted, "and he made me an offer to plant this charge on the bomb and blow you all to hell."

"What!" Amata and Lucas both cried. Lucas' eyes narrowed. "Oh, I never did like the look of him… Gimme that thing," he said, taking it out of Lloyd's hand. Lucas dropped it and stomped on the charge, destroying it. He took out his assault rifle.

"Come on you two, you're about to learn a lesson in wasteland justice. Where's Burke now?"

Lloyd finally caught his breath and straightened. "He said he was heading to his room here in town. You know where it is?"

"He took an old shack not far from the old bomb. If we hurry, we can ambush him as he's coming out."

Lucas, with Amata and Lloyd in tow, ran to the bottom of Megaton's pit, where the bomb sat in a pool of irradiated water, sticking out like a sore thumb. Nearby, a few people ate at the Brass Lantern, including Billy Creel and Jericho. Some of them watched the sheriff approach with the two vault dwellers. He pointed at Burke's shack.

"That's his place." He looked over at Billy. "You see Burke go in there?" Billy nodded. "He come out?" Billy shook his head. "Good. Got him right where we want him." Lucas looked back at the two. "I want you to take up positions on both sides of his shack. I'll knock on his door. We try to take him peacefully, but watch for any sudden moves. They nodded and moved quickly, hiding along different sides of his shack. Lloyd readied his pistol, and Amata had the bat in her hands.

Lucas, rifle in hand, approached the door and knocked on it three times. "Burke! State your business in Megaton!" Lucas shouted. "Burke, open up! We've got questions for you."

The door opened, then, and a gun was in Lucas' face. Burke held his silenced 10mm and held it steady, its barrel barely an inch away from the sheriff's forehead. "Sheriff," he greeted. In his other hand, he held a briefcase. "Drop your weapon, Simms. Drop it now!"

Lucas dropped his gun and held up his hands. Behind him, other people stood and watched, suddenly very concerned. Lucas had a determined look in his eyes. "You're not getting out of here, Burke. Shoot me and they'll swarm over you."

"This is precisely why we're going to take a little walk to the edge of town, sheriff. Just the two of us. Come now," he said, prodding Lucas in the face with his gun. "No need for any bloodshed."

As he stepped out, pushing Lucas back, he felt the barrel of Lloyd's pistol press into his temple. "Drop it, Burke."

Burke let out a long sigh. "Oh, my boy. I had higher expectations of you. I'm disappointed, honestly."

"Shut up and drop it, or I drop you," Lloyd warned.

"I don't think you don't have it in you, Lloyd," Burke said as he turned to face the young man, so that now Lloyd's gun was directly in the center of his forehead. "If you did, you would've shot me in the saloon. No, you had to run to someone else and let them get their hands dirty for you. Put the gun down. Now."

Lloyd looked at Burke with fury in his eyes, then to Lucas. He couldn't risk the sheriff getting shot. With a disgusted look, Lloyd dropped his pistol.

Burke smirked. "I thought so. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't personal," he said, moving to point his gun at Lloyd's head. However, he was significantly impeded by the baseball bat swung at high speeds into his neck. Reflexively, he fired off a shot, but as his pistol was halfway between Lloyd and Burke at the time of Amata's sudden attack, the bullet flew harmlessly into the water at the base of the bomb, right between Cromwell's legs.

His sunglasses fell to the floor and cracked as Burke fell to his knees, and in that instance, Lloyd and Simms were upon him, holding him down. But after a swing like that to the neck, Burke wasn't going anywhere in a hurry. Lloyd grabbed both his and Burke's pistols to keep them out of the man's reach. Amata stood back and dropped the bat as she slid down to her knees, panting. She had never attacked someone like that before in her life, and Lloyd was quickly there to help her.

But Burke was very much still alive, and Lucas hauled him away with Billy's help. As Lloyd helped Amata up, they were watched by a good portion of the town. They had seen it all happen, including the man in the trench coat.

* * *

It was high afternoon, and Amata and Lloyd sat on a small, semi-comfortable couch outside the common house. They sat in relative silence, having migrated over here since they had ambushed Burke outside of his shack. "Exciting day, hasn't it been?" Amata asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, sure has," Lloyd said. "Makes me wonder if every day will be like this."

An uncomfortable silence passed over them. Occasionally, a settler would walk by and say hello, to which they would respond in kind.

"What do we do now?" Amata asked him.

"Plan hasn't changed," Lloyd said. "Just gotta wait until I can get a chance to talk to Moriarty." He sat back. "Hah… you know, I can hardly believe it. Feels like we've been outside for five minutes and we've already stopped a man who had plans to blow up a town." He looked at Amata and said with a sarcastic tone, "Think we can top it by dinner?"

"Don't be a smart-mouth," she playfully replied. Amata's hand found and grasped his.

"But I'm serious. What's our next step, if we can't talk to this Colin?"

Lloyd shook his head. "We'll find something to do until I can talk to him. He's my only lead." He looked over at her. "I'll give you the caps, okay? You talked to that Jenny girl, so you know where to buy food. I hear we can sleep in the common house."

Amata looked around at Megaton.

"This life will be difficult, Lloyd," she said. "In the vault, everything was handed to us. There wasn't money to worry about. What'll happen when we run out of caps?"

"We'll end up like the vagrant I gave water to outside. Only this time, there won't be anyone who'll hand us water." He looked at her, and saw her worried face. "We won't run out of caps. I'll do some work, or something. I'll make enough for the both of us to eat and drink. I promise," he said, squeezing her hand, "I promise everything will work out, Amata."

Amata rested her head on his shoulder. "I know, Lloyd. I know."

Lloyd closed his eyes and sighed. As much as he enjoyed having her with him, he recognized that the events of the previous few minutes had shaken her up a little. "I'm sorry I dragged you out here with me." Upon hearing this, she sat up and looked at him.

"I'm not."

"But..." Lloyd trailed off as he stared into her eyes. Her gaze was strong, and full of intent. Within those pools, he found renewed confidence that they'd make it through anything that came their way.

He leaned over and captured her lips in a kiss.

Not too far away, Jericho, who had idly looked in their direction, spit on the ground in disgust. The sight of those two prissy little vault dwellers kissing made him sick. He walked away, muttering to himself, heading up to the saloon for a drink.

As they broke apart, Lloyd stood up.

"I'm going to see about finding some paying work," he told her. "I heard from Billy that there might be some trouble at the water treatment plant. I'm going to go up and see what I can do to help. Will you be alright?"

She held up the baseball bat. On the end of it was a small, recently acquired stain of blood. "I think I can handle myself."

Lloyd smiled and walked away. Amata watched him go, and as she did, she began to think about their current situation.

'I wish I had never left the vault...' she thought once more. She looked at Lloyd's back as he disappeared around a corner. 'But I won't dwell on it. Like it or not, we're here now. Together.'

And despite everything else, she liked that last part.

* * *

Lloyd knocked on the water treatment plant door. Upon getting no response, he entered anyway. He heard a banging noise, and saw an old man wearing a light blue jumpsuit hammering on a pipe, which the room was full of. He looked up. Despite his old age, gray hair and dark, rough skin, he had a cheery air about him. He stopped his hammering and spoke in a pleasant voice.

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked.

Lloyd looked around. "I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help around here. I've got some knowledge as far as pipes and plumbing goes."

"Well," the man began. "It's no secret that the old water plant here is pulling its last few days behind it. I'm the only one in town that can keep the damn thing running! I spent so much time up here in the plant, that I can't keep track of the leaks that keep springing up around town," he explained. "Now, I'm not much of one for giving strangers jobs, but if you've got the knowhow, I need someone to hunt down and fix those leaks."

Lloyd shrugged. "Sounds easy enough. How many leaks are there?"

"Well, judging from the pressure in the plant, there're at least three sprung up around town. Check around the pipes and the valves, but they might be a bit tricky to find out," he told Lloyd, who nodded in response.

"I'll get right on it. I'm Lloyd, by the way. Lloyd Freeman."

"Name's Walter, and I could really use the help you're offering. If people knew about how hard things were up here, well... I don't know what would happen," Walter said.

"I'll need some tools. Got an extra kit?" Lloyd asked.

"Oh, sure, sure!" Walter said, moving to the back. He opened up a locker and took out a tool set.

"This here's got everything you'll need. Duct tape, wonderglue, wrenches, everything." Lloyd took it with thanks and left the treatment plant. Behind him, Walter clasped his hands together and said, "Well, back to work."

Lloyd spent the next two hours hunting down the leaks and fixing them. He had spotted only one before, not far from the entrance. He fixed that one first. It took him a good thirty minutes to do so, but he finally sealed the pipe with some tape, glue and spare sheet metal. After he found the second one, not far away from where he and Amata had sat, he began working on that one, too.

The third was the hardest to find, as it was on top of the Church of Atom's roof. As he found a way to climb up and work on it, Amata watched from one of the stools that sat in front of the Brass Lantern. Jenny leaned over and spoke to her.

"That friend of yours is working pretty hard," she said. Amata nodded.

"He'll be hungry. When he comes back down, I'll invite him over for some food," she said.

As Lloyd finished his work, though, he went back up to the water treatment plant before Amata could wave him over. Walter was just outside, leaning on a railing and smoking. Lloyd approached him.

"Huh? Yeah, what is it?" Walter asked, taking a drag on his cigarette.

"The pipes are all fixed," Lloyd told him.

"Really? Lemme go check the pressure in the system," he said, standing upright and walking into the plant. Lloyd followed him inside. Once within, Walter approached the meter and tapped it a few times with his finger.

"Well I'll be damned... the pressure's up in the plant!" he said, reading some gauges built into a collection of pipes on the wall. "It looks like you got all the leaks fixed! Thank you, stranger, thank you!" Lloyd nodded, a smile on his face. "But it's only a matter of time before they break again," Walter said, his cheery tone fading. "They always do. But enough of that." Walter held out a small bag that jingled with caps. "Here. Two hunnerd caps for a job well done," Walter said with a smile. Lloyd graciously accepted it. He turned to leave. "What'll you do now, stranger?" Walter asked. Lloyd looked back.

"With these tools you gave me, I can fix a problem in this town that's long overdue in my book."

In the center of the town laid the bomb, around which much of the excitement today was based. Lloyd approached the bomb, surprising Confessor Cromwell, who was still standing next to the undetonated device, preaching of Atom, as he did every day.

"What are you doing to His vessel?" cried Cromwell as Lloyd opened up a panel on the side of the massive explosive. Lloyd ignored Cromwell as he began tinkering around the inside of it.

"Stop him! Stop him, I proclaim!" Cromwell cried out. A small crowd began to form around the muddy puddle in which the two stood, the puddle that surrounded the bomb. Among those in the crowd were Amata, Manya and Jenny.

"Don't try to stop me," Lloyd said, not turning from his work. "One wrong move and I'll kill us all, and I don't want that any more than all of you do." There were gasps and murmurs throughout the crowd, and Amata grew worried.

"Sheriff! Stop him!" a settler from the crowd shouted. A few turned to see Lucas Simms walk up to the crowd, having recently but Burke in the town holding cell, but he did nothing else. Billy and Jericho joined the outskirts of the now fairly large circle to observe the ordeal themselves.

"I invoke the wrath of Atom upon you!" Cromwell cried. "May your bones melt, your skin burn and your ashes be scattered and forgotten! You are desecrating a holy relic! You are-"

"Done." Lloyd said, closing the panel and stepping back. Cromwell stuttered and suddenly stopped speaking, and the crowd grew silent as well.

"What have you done?" Cromwell asked after a moment.

"I disarmed the bomb."

Cromwell grasped at the sides of his head. "What? I, but, you, with… Atom! And… But…" he stammered on a little, exiting the pool of water to huddle near the base of the church, raving to himself. Lloyd watched him go with a confused expression.

"And that's not all he did!" Lucas shouted, moving through the crowd. He lent his hand to Lloyd, who took it and stepped out of the filthy puddle. "This boy right here saved this entire town!" Lucas said, patting Lloyd on the back. "You all know that Mister Burke, how shady he was? He was fixin' to blow up this whole town!"

There were gasps in the crowd, but Lucas continued above them.

"Burke offered this here boy, who just arrived today, fresh outta the vault! He offered him a life of luxury to murder all of us. Well, he ran right to me and gave me proof of it. Some'a you saw what happened next. These two helped stop Burke and now we've got him drooling all over the floor of his cell."

Lloyd and Amata looked at the sheriff, then at each other. They weren't sure what Lucas' purpose in this was; was he trying to get the people of Megaton to like them? The crowd was growing larger. Above, Walter had heard the commotion and was outside, looking down. Moira Brown, proprietor of Craterside Supplies, had likewise done the same. Leo Stahl, Lucy West and others joined the crowd that was quickly encompassing the entirety of the center of the town.

"And after all that," Lucas cried, a smile on his face, "he had the heart to disarm the ticking time bomb himself, for free! He insisted that there be no charge!"

"And hey, he fixed the water pipes, too!" Walter cried out. Everyone turned to face him. "He came to me and asked if he could help, so I set him about to fix the leaks I've been warning you all about. Well, he fixed'em, so now the system's running good again, and the water's gonna be cleaner!"

"And he saved my life!" Someone in the crowd cried out. Everyone turned to see the scrappy man Lloyd had given water too just before he entered Megaton proper. "He gave me clean water, pure! Pure water! Out of the kindness of his heart and asked for nothing in return! Praise you, stranger! Praise you!" The man fell to his knees and kissed the ground at Lloyd's feet.

Amata and Lloyd could only watch these events unfold around them so suddenly with a look of utter surprise on their faces. Lloyd looked down at the man, then up at the crowd. Everyone in Megaton was looking at him. Some with wonder, others with confusion, some with curiosity. He noticed a little Asian girl jutting up from the back of the crowd, sitting atop Billy Creel's shoulders. Lloyd broke away from Lucas and approached them, pulling out the baseball from his pocket.

"...I think you wanted Maggie to have this, Billy," he said, not knowing what else to do at this point. Billy smiled, and took the ball.

"Freeman, isn't it? I'd like you to meet Maggie," he said, holding the ball up to the little girl, who stared at it wide-eyed, a big smile growing on her face.

"Wow!" she said, holding it up.

"But really, for nothing?" Billy asked. Lloyd shook his head.

"Not for nothing, Billy. I told you that before."

All was silent for a moment, and then someone began to clap. Then another, and another, and another, and soon the whole town was cheering. Amata approached him, an amazed expression decorating her face. Lloyd smiled and laughed at the joy the moment seemed to radiate. As people cheered and whistled, Lloyd spoke to Amata in her ear, just quiet enough so that only she could hear.

"Not bad for our first day in the wasteland, huh?" he said with a wide smile. She looked up at him and smiled back.

"Makes me wonder if every day will be like this," she said, quoting him from earlier. Lloyd laughed, but was suddenly silenced from a surprise kiss. He returned Amata's gesture, disregarding the people who watched. There were a few small hoots from the audience, and the little girl Maggie stuck her tongue out, thinking the entire thing gross.

The moment was torn apart by gunfire, and everyone turned to the origin of the noise. Jericho stood there, cigarette in mouth and smoking assault rifle in hand, having fired his shots into the ground. He fixed his gaze solely on the couple in the center of the crowd. He stormed up to the stunned Lloyd.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he said, getting very close. Amata reflexively moved behind Lloyd.

"I... I don't..." Lloyd began.

"What do you think you are, better than all of us? You're just gonna swoop into town one day and lift us out of the wasteland like the almighty shepherd or some shit?" He turned to face the crowd. "These two are just a buncha fuckin' vault pansies! They don't know nothin' 'bout the wasteland! They just showed up here. They ain't got no reason to care about us. They ain't got no reason. Think we're too stupid to fix our own damn problem. They think we're just so fuckin' pathetic, that this kid here," he pointed to Lloyd, "feels some kinda obligation to help us out from some sense of pride! Like we're nothing but fuckin' sheep to them! Do I look like a kid to you, you little shit?"

The crowd was silent. He turned, walked a few short steps, and turned back.

"Don't get too comfortable around them because they're gonna get fuckin' wasted out there in the real world. They don't know a goddamn thing about life out here! Not a goddamned thing! They've been fed good meals all their life, they've drank clean water all their life! They ain't fought to live like we all have! They think they're so much better than us, don't they? That we'd just fall apart if they didn't come at the right time and be in the right place, so they'll take all the credit. They look down on us like we're just fuckin' bugs compared to them!" he shouted, storming off.

Everyone was silent. People began to slowly disperse, returning to their lives. Amata gripped his arm, and he looked down at her.

"Ignore him," Lucas said, walking up to the pair. "Jericho's wound up tighter than a robot and has just as many screws missing. Isn't the first time he's gone off on somebody. Personally, I think he just plain hates people who help other people. It's a strange mindset he's got. Don't let him get to you."

"He won't," Lloyd said. "I admit… I've definitely never met someone with as explosive a personality as his…" Amata silently agreed.

"Hah. Well, speaking of explosive, I want to reward the two of you for everything you've done here today."

Amata chuckled, saying, "He did all the work, sheriff."

"Don't be so quick to pass up the credit that you deserve, girl," he said. "You smacked up Burke real nice, and now we got him in custody. So, considering all you've done for Megaton, I'd like to give you this."

He held out a key, and Lloyd took it to inspect it. "A key?" he asked, to which Lucas nodded.

"To your new home."

They both looked at him in surprise. "Our new what?" Amata asked.

"I've been trying to find a good owner for a house here in town for a while now. It's not too shabby of a place. You two seem like the perfect match for it. We'd be honored to have you live here with us. Better than the common house, I assure you."

Not knowing how to refuse such an offer, and certainly not wanting to, they graciously accepted.

As Lucas took them to their new residence, they were observed from a distance by the man in the trench coat. Flicking a cigarette onto the ground and stomping it out, he straightened his fedora and smiled to himself. He took a measure of pride in Lloyd and Amata's actions today, and knew he would be keeping an eye of them for some time.

He stepped into a nearby dark corner and faded away, leaving no trace of his having been there, save for the burnt cigarette butt on the ground.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	3. The Wasteland is Super Duper

Lucas sat down on a stool, lighting up a cigarette. He didn't smoke often, only when he needed to remain calm, which at the moment, as a necessity.

And right now, sitting across the table was Burke, the man who had attempted to blow up Megaton and murder everyone in it... he needed to stay calm.

"So," Lucas began, taking the lit cig away from his mouth, "why'd you do it?"

Burke, tied to a chair, stripped of his glasses and hat, his neck very much swollen and purple courtesy of Amata's bat, shrugged. "I still haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about, sheriff," he replied in his serpent-like tone.

"Bullshit," Simms spat. "You wanted this town blown to hell. Why? What's your gain in destroying the lives and homes of innocent people?"

Burke shook his head. "You can't say I wanted to do something without some evidence to back up your claim, sheriff."

"I've got all the proof I need. The charge I crushed beneath my boot and the word from those two," he said, bringing up Lloyd and Amata, those two most interesting new characters to have taken up residence in Megaton.

"Ah, yes, your new mascot and his little girl," Burke said, contempt in his voice. "The little rat fooled an entire town of imbeciles into believing him. Understandable, given the average of intelligence around here."

Lucas leaned over.

"You pointed a gun at me, Bruke. He hasn't. That's all I need to take his word over yours."

"You haven't threatened him yet. I was merely acting out of self-defense, sheriff. This charade is completely unnecessary. I don't know why he targeted me out of everyone in this town, but clearly he provided you with a false charge and pointed his finger at me."

"You're pretty good at spewing bullshit, aren't you Burke?" Lucas asked, unsmiling.

"Sheriff, I plead that you do not deny me the basic human right to explain myself," Burke said.

He flicked his cigarette aside. "Don't talk to me about rights, Burke. You're a lying man and an attempted murderer."

Burke chuckled darkly. "Aren't we all in this world, sheriff?"

Lucas stood up, stomping on his cigarette to put it out. "Don't think you can preach to me, Burke. You'll be locked up for a while, plenty of time to think to yourself."

Lucas turned to leave. "I won't be for long," Burke called out.

He turned back. "The hell's that supposed to mean?"

"I've got people who will come to get me. They know I'm alive, and they know the circumstances. They know about the false charges you've brought against me, and they'll not stand for it, not while my employer has anything to say about it." Burke finished his monologue with a smile.

Lucas shook his head. "You're not going anywhere, Burke, not while I'm alive."

"That can be arranged."

Lucas charged across the room, grabbing the back of Burke's head and slamming his face down on the table. Burke groaned.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?! Huh!?" Lucas shouted.

"Such... violence, sheriff. It's not becoming of a man of your... stature," he replied, and smiled once more.

"Damnit Burke, tell me who you work for!" Simms ordered.

Burke spat on the table. "Never."

Lucas let go and walked to leave.

"Sheriff!" Burke called out from behind him. Lucas turned back.

"What," he spoke austerely.

"Consider this..." Burke began, spitting out some blood. "This boy Lloyd rides into town on a silver horse with a jumpsuit and fixes your water. He fixes your bomb. He gives freely to the poor. And, to make himself seem all the more heroic and noble, he finds and accuses a man of planning to blow up the nuclear device. He gives you a charge that he claims he got from this man, even though nobody in the saloon can recall seeing the boy speaking to him. He goes to you, acting like so much the good citizen. And as a reward, you give him a home for himself and the girl he travels with."

Lucas said nothing.

"Your naivety makes me sick, sheriff," Burke said, and with that, he was done. Lucas turned and left once and for all.

Burke chuckled to himself.

Oh, how those two were going to pay. The boy for fooling and ratting him out, and the girl for the mess she made of his neck. It stung every time he tried to turn his head.

Oh yes, how they were going to pay. He would see to it personally.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

Amata walked in first, and Lloyd quickly moved in behind her. For the most part, they were silent as they explored their new home. It was two stories, with a kitchen on the bottom floor, which had a shelf, fridge and sink for water, and a bedroom with a crappy spring mattress on the second floor next to a spare room. It was almost completely empty, with rusted walls and filthy floors. Dust and dirt kicked up as they walked.

Amata was the first to break the silence.

"I think I imagined our own living space to be a little more... luxurious," she joked, walking down the steps to join him on the first floor.

"Beggars can hardly be choosers," Lloyd replied. He looked to his companion. "I hope this suite will suit you, your highness." He cocked a smile.

"You're hardly a prince for a princess," she said, moving closer. "Not even a knight." Her arms found their way around his neck.

"No? I thought I'd at the very least be a squire." His hand slid around her waistline.

"Nope... just a lowly peasant..."

They leaned towards each other, but before connection could be made, they were interrupted by a loud banging noise. They turned to the door.

Lloyd chuckled softly. "Sorry," he said, moving out of her embrace and walking up to the door. He opened it. A woman stood there.

"Oh hey!" she greeted. She wore a blue jumpsuit and had red hair, and her face was dirty and greasy, but not nearly as much as her jumpsuit was. Her face was unusually cheery and full of what one could describe as childlike wonder.

"Hello..." Lloyd replied. It was getting dark, and he was tired from the events of the day. He had planned to get some sleep, but now this woman seemed rather intent on speaking with them. "Please come inside," Lloyd bid her, and she accepted the offer.

"I'm glad to see this old house has finally found some good owners!" she said, her eyes fixing on Amata. She extended her hand, also covered in grease. Amata winced only slightly and shook it. The woman turned around to say something to Lloyd, giving Amata a chance to wipe her hand clean on the leg of her vault jumpsuit.

"It's good to meet you both in person. I'm Moira Brown, owner of Craterside Supply. Maybe you've heard of it?" she said.

Lloyd nodded. "I think Billy Creel mentioned it on a tour..."

"Well it's a shame we didn't meet before you became town heroes!" Moira said. "So listen, I was just wondering if I could ask you something."

"…Shoot," Lloyd said. This Moira spoke in an odd, bubbly manner.

"Well, I own the supply store, but what I mostly do is tinkering and research. I'm putting together a... book, of sorts. More like a guide. And I was hoping to ask you what life was like in the vault," she explained. "Help me out, would you? I want to know what it's like to have lived underground your whole life, then to suddenly come outside! Tell my anything. Whatever your fancy is."

Lloyd crossed his arms as he thought about how to approach the question. He looked to Amata, but she didn't have anything more than a shrug.

"Well... Sure, I've got plenty to say about life in the vault, I suppose. It was cleaner. More controlled. Everything's a little wilder out here... very different. Down there... things were more..." He thought for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Simple, I suppose. Everything was fine and good... No real fear, no worries, no fighting... until my father left." Amata's eyes averted at that.

Moira's eyebrows shot up. "A runaway dad, huh? I've seen plenty of those before, but not one with a big "101" on his back!" she said with a cheery tone. In spite of all that had happened up until this point, Lloyd couldn't help but smile at this joyful woman. "Good luck finding him!"

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah." Amata was silent. She imagined that it couldn't be easy for Lloyd to have luck wished upon finding his father. It implied that it would be a difficult task. Which it would be, she knew, but there wasn't any point on dwelling on it now.

Moira stood for a moment in awkward silence, but didn't seem to notice it. "Well, thanks a lot for telling me all of that," she said, still turned to Lloyd. "Hey!" she said suddenly, jolting him out of his thoughts about his father. "Wanna help me with the book? I can pay you, since you don't have a job and all, and plus, it'll be fun!"

"Well... uh, what kind of book are we even talking about?" Lloyd asked.

Moira beamed. "Well! It's a dangerous place out there in the wastes, right? I want to write a kind of... compilation of good advice for how to survive. Like a wasteland survival guide! Hey, that'd make a good title!"

She pulled out a notebook and wrote the thought down.

"I love it!" she said. "It's so simple and yet so informative! It'll make a great title, I just know it. Anyway!" She put the notepad away and continued. "For the book, I'll need an assistant... or assistants," she said, turning to consider Amata, "you know, to test my theories. I wouldn't want anyone to die because of a mistake! Nobody's ever happy when that happens. Then just yell at me. A lot. With mean, mean words!"

Amata looked at Lloyd to see what he thought of the obviously strange woman who stood before them. He just shrugged and spoke. "It… sounds like a great idea." Moira spun to face him. "We," he said, glancing at Amata, "can hardly wait to help, right?" Amata crossed her arms.

"Good enthusiasm! Now, I think the first chapter will have to be about surviving in the wasteland. You know, day-to-day dangers and the like. You know, where it is and isn't a safe place to find food, the dangers of radiation, and how to avoid and even profit from dangerous things like landmines! Ooooh, sounds like fun, doesn't it? Which do you want to do first?!"

"I think," Amata said, walking over and stepped next to Lloyd, "that we should talk about it tomorrow morning. It's getting a little late. Right, Lloyd?" she asked, looking up at the tall teenager. He considered her point and agreed.

"Alright. Moira, first thing I'm going to do tomorrow is stop in and see you for work on the book," he told her.

"That's great! It'll give me a chance to whip something up for the two of you! You know, something that'll help you out there in the wastes. Can't be unprotected, now, can you?" she laughed. "Just stop in and see me and I'll have everything ready. Buh-bye!" she said, leaving immediately and closing the door behind her.

"Well," Lloyd said, now that they were alone, "she seems… interesting."

"I think she's crazy," Amata spoke honestly, "or at least too immature to be serious about this book of hers. Is she worth going out there and facing raiders or worse?" Amata couldn't help but think about what Billy had told them. "It's not safe out there."

"Yeah, well, my father is out there," he said, almost accusingly.

Everything was silent for a moment. Amata looked down, very quiet. Lloyd walked up to her and lifted up her chin. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She looked up into his eyes.

"We're going to have to learn what's out there for ourselves," he told her. "We need to survive everything the wasteland can throw at us if we are to ever find my father and learn why he left the vault."

She nodded. "I know, but..."

"Working with Moira on this book at the same time, for pay, sounds like a good idea to me," he soothed her. "Trust me. I get a good feeling from her."

Amata bit her lip, still averting her eyes. Lloyd's comforting smile vanished, replaced by a look of concern.

"What's the matter, Amata?" he asked.

"I'm... scared to go out there," she admitted. "I can't shoot like you can, Lloyd. I don't know anything about surviving... like this..."

Lloyd grew quiet and she looked at him.

"I was the Overseer's daughter, Lloyd. I had everything handed to me easy. That's why I was made fun of so much, by kids like Butch. I've got nothing to help us out here..." She looked down.

"I saved Butch's mother during my escape," Lloyd said, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah. She was being attacked by radroaches. I killed them, and Butch was too afraid to help save his own mother."

"...Wow, what a guy," she said, cracking a smile.

Lloyd looked at her.

"He wouldn't have followed me out here, Amata. You did. I think that says something about what you've got over most people in this world."

She didn't say anything, only leaned up to kiss him once more. When they broke apart, some minutes later, he bid her that she should get some sleep.

"What about you?" she asked. "Won't you be getting any? I think you still need sleep out here in the wasteland, you know," she teased.

"There's a chair in the corner of the room. I can sleep there, and you can have the bed. It's too small for the two of us, and..." his voice trailed off.

Amata smiled and laughed, catching onto his meaning. "I don't think you need to be worried about the size of the bed, just who you share it with, right?"

Lloyd smiled, shaking his head. "You deserve the bed," he told her. "You'll be more comfortable without me on that spring mattress up there."

She grew a mischievous grin. "You can stop playing the noble soul when we're alone, Lloyd... and I think I'd be more comfortable with you instead of not."

"You sure about that?" he asked.

She nodded. She took his hand and led him upstairs. Lloyd laughed suddenly, and she turned to question him about his sudden burst.

"Last night I went to sleep in the vault, and I dreamt about you. This morning, you slapped my face to wake me up," he said. "Now, we're about to share a bed that, in the vault, would be thrown into the incinerator.

Amata looked down at him as he slumped against the wall, sitting halfway up the staircase. "Our lives changed today..." he said, all traces of merriment gone from his voice. "I killed people. Saved people, maybe." He looked up, back at Amata. "You followed me into hell and hit a guy in the face with a baseball bat."

"Yeah…" Amata replied, uncertain of what else to say.

The dead of silence hung in the air for a few seconds. They stared into each other's eyes, but said nothing. They were both beginning to truly realize all that had happened in just one day.

"When either of us woke up today, did we think that this would happen?" He chuckled, looking down on the first floor of their rusty shack. "How could either of us have imagined… this..."

Amata slowly walked down to him and kneeled beside him. "We left for a reason, Lloyd. We saw what really happens behind closed doors in Vault 101. Jonas was murdered. Others were, too. The radroach infestation was getting out of hand; I'd been pressing my father for months to try to fix it. And Lloyd," she said, placing her hand encouragingly on his shoulder, "we left to find your father."

Lloyd stared at her. She could see his eyes were watering. They embraced, each holding strongly onto the other. They supported each other, reassured each other. Loved each other.

It was getting late. They moved up to the bed.

* * *

In the dark of that very night, the giant steel door of Vault 101 slid open again. Four figures stepped through, walking through the dark cavernous tunnel that led to the surface. Two of them were officers, protecting the Overseer. The Overseer himself opened up the door for the fourth individual, who stepped through. White moonlight illuminated the destroyed land that stretched seemingly endlessly before them. It was not his first time seeing the wasteland, for he had been born there.

For the two officers, it was their first time glimpsing the hellish wastes. Lloyd Freeman had killed the two guards that often accompanied the Overseer to the surface, so now it was their job, and they didn't like any bit of it.

But not nearly as much as the Overseer did. Alphonse Almodovar hated this place. He hated every inch of it, and wanted none of it in his life. But more importantly, he wanted his daughter to have none of it. He turned to the individual, who was the only one present not wearing a vault jumpsuit.

"Find my daughter. Bring her back alive."

"And the other kid?" the man asked, lighting up a smoke. He popped it into his mouth and inhaled deeply.

Alphonse was silent for a moment. "Kill him if you get the chance."

The man was silent. "If you say so," he paused, adding, "Mr. Overseer."

Alphonse and the two guards left him there. The two officers said nothing, and neither did the Overseer.

He would see that his daughter was brought out of these wastes, no matter what.

The man looked out over the wastes, his gaze settling on Megaton, not too far away. 'That'll be a good place to start,' he thought. He moved out then, unaware that he himself was being watched.

* * *

He was running. He didn't know why. Only that he was running. Running very fast. Away from something? Towards something? He saw light and darkness, good and evil, and everything in between. Faces blurred and melted. Figures shattered like so much glass. He heard noises all around him, closing in then going silent. Gunshots. Screams. Laughter, both sweet and malevolent. He saw his father, and he heard his voice.

_"Revelation 21:6: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."_

Lloyd awoke with a sudden start, sitting straight up and he stared into the darkness. In the recesses of his mind, he registered that it was still dark out. He was sweating and breathing heavily. Next to him, Amata stirred and woke.

"...Lloyd? Lloyd!" she said, sitting up. "What's wrong?"

He was panting and struggling to sit straight.

"I... I had..." he shook his head almost violently. "A dream... or a nightmare... it felt real, so real... I..."

Amata's hands found his shoulders as she tried to soothe him. "Relax, Lloyd, it's okay..." He didn't turn. "Talk to me... Tell me what the dream was about..."

Lloyd tried to steady his breathing. "I saw... I don't know. I saw…" His hands shot to his face as he was straining to remember anything from the vivid dream. His memory was blank.

Amata moved closer. "It's alright, Lloyd..." She had no idea what could have brought this on, but she wanted to help him through it. Was it about his father? Or just how much change he had gone through today?

After a moment, he breathed more easily. "I'm okay," he said, setting his hands in his lap. "I'm alright..."

"Tell me what happened..." Amata slowly rubbed his shoulders to keep him relaxed.

Still facing away from her, he spoke. "I saw..." He paused. "I think I saw my father."

Amata nodded, understanding. "You miss him, Lloyd, and you went through a lot today."

"I saw... the people I killed," he told her. "At least I think I did... I heard gunshots, and I saw people... dying, I think, I don't know..."

Amata hugged him from behind. In the silence, and in his alert state, he could feel her heartbeat. It felt wonderful, in a way.

"I'm sorry..." he apologized.

"For what?" she asked.

"...For everything. My father, your father, what happened today, what I had to do... what you had to do... I'm sorry, Amata." He turned his head to look back at her. Even in the darkness, he could see her sparkling eyes.

"We'll make it through this, Lloyd," she told him. "Together."

It hadn't been the first time Lloyd had said it, but it was the first time he had said it since they entered the wasteland.

"I love you, Amata."

* * *

They awoke rather early next morning, Amata first. They slid into their jumpsuits, currently their only pieces of clothing (save for Lloyd, with his Tunnel Snakes jacket), drank some purified water from his medical pack and headed out to the Brass Lantern to trade some caps for food. As they sat down on two of the stools, Jenny Stahl flashed them a smile.

"Morning, you two!" she greeted. "Up for some breakfast chow?"

"How much?" Lloyd asked, taking out their bag of caps.

"On the house," she said. They looked at her, surprised. "It's the least I can do for Megaton's latest and greatest vault dwellers."

Billy walked up and sat down next to Lloyd's right. "Mornin'," he said. "Jenny, I'd like me a nice squirrel on a stick, if you please."

"Coming right up," Jenny said as she moved to the fridge.

"Squirrel on a stick?" Lloyd asked.

"Oh yeah! It don't taste half as bad as it sounds," Billy said, "besides, squirrels are easier ta catch than them iguanas. Those slip'ry little bastards are hard to trap."

"So," Jenny said while she set the bits of flesh on the aforementioned stick in front of Billy, "what'll you two do now that you've fixed every problem in the whole town?" Billy chuckled.

"Well," Lloyd began, "I'm gonna help Moira with some work she needs done."

"Moira, eh?" said Jenny. "Careful around that one, she's crazy as a loon. Good girl though, no doubt about it."

"Just be careful 'bout what she asks you ta do out in the field," Billy said, in between bites. "Moira's been known ta go through assistants fairly regularly."

Lloyd looked at Amata.

"Don't worry, we will."

After they finished eating their relatively meager meal, they walked up to Craterside Supply. It was dimly lit inside, though Moira was there, sweeping the floor. The walls were adorned with various odd items and the shelves were stocked with product. A guard leaned up against the wall in a dark corner, eyeing them suspiciously. Moira looked up.

"Oh hey!" she said with a wide smile. She set the broom aside and approached them, cleaning her hands on her jumpsuit. "I'm glad you're here! I've got some things for you that'll help you out there in the wastes."

She turned and walked into an adjacent room, emerging a moment later with two packs.

"What're those?" Lloyd asked.

"Backpacks!" Moira beamed. "These will help you carry all your equipment and guns and such! Or anything you find out there, or... or whatever you like!"

They approached and took the backpacks from her. They were in good condition, though patched in some areas. They each were of equal size, and each had multiple compartments.

"These feel a little heavy," Amata noticed. "Is there anything inside them?"

"Yes!" Moira replied. "Open them up!"

They knelt down and opened up the packs. Inside were a few things, to their surprise. Each had a strange set of straps and pieces of metal.

"What are these?" Lloyd asked as he held up the contraption.

"Those are meant to be worn over your vault jumpsuits," Moira said. "It's got extra pockets and belts and holsters for guns and all sorts of cool stuff! Like the metal shoulder pads! I added those because I think they're pretty cool, myself."

They slid the harnesses on, and adjusted them to fit snugly. Lloyd slid his jacket over his harness, but found it a little uncomfortable with the shoulder pads.

"I don't think you want that big heavy jacket outside," Moira said. "It can get pretty hot out there, you know!"

Lloyd shrugged. "Wanna buy it?" he offered. A moment later, Lloyd was sans one jacket and up eight caps. The new harness had enough useful pockets and the addition of the backpack more than made up for the jacket as well. Before he sold it, he took the two audio disks he had of his father out of its pockets, as well as the two ammunition belts the two guards had given them right before they left the vault. Lloyd had completely forgotten about them.

After Amata and Lloyd had both armored their jumpsuits with the harnesses, they slid on the ammo belts. They opened up the packs again, and found two more items. A holster, made for pistols, and an extra adjustable strap with clamps on both ends.

"What are these for?" Amata asked, holding up hers.

"Well, the holsters are for pistols and other fun things that are pistol-shaped," explained Moira, who was now leaning against her workbench. "Those straps are for rifles, which I'm sure you'll find out there. Raiders use them all the time!"

They both paused. "You sure we'll run into them out there?" Lloyd asked, sensing Amata's trepidation.

"Oh, certainly! You can hardly wander a mile in the wastes without them jumping you or you bumping into them!" Moira laughed. The two of them did not join her in her jovialness.

Lloyd attached the holster to his side and slid the pistol in. He then equipped his backpack and stood up to speak to Moira. "Have you got anything else that'll help us out there?" he asked.

"Well, sure. But you'll have to buy them!" she chuckled.

"Let me see what you've got."

As Amata suited up, Lloyd bought a pre-war combat helmet and a pair of goggles for himself at the advice of Moira, who insisted that it can get dusty out there in the wastes. Moira only had one helmet, so Lloyd spent some caps on a hat with cloth that would cover most of Amata's head. Moira called it a stormchaser hat.

"So," Lloyd said, adjusting his newly purchased headwear and eyewear, "where to now, Moira?"

"Well," Moira said, leaning over her table, "I think a good place to start for the book would be getting food and medicine. Everyone needs them once in a while, right? What we need is a good place to find them. Now, there's an old Super-Duper Mart not far from here. I'd like to know if an old place like that has any food or medicine left in it!"

"Okay," Lloyd replied. "Do you have a map?"

"Oh!" Moira suddenly jumped. Amata and Lloyd were startled from her sudden outburst. "That reminds me!" she said, running to her shelf and digging through some boxes. After a moment, she stood up and held a disk. Lloyd and Amata knew that it was a disk meant to be interfaced with a Pip-Boy.

"I thought this would come in handy!" Moira said, stepped forward. She handed it to Lloyd, who slid it into his trusty Pip-Boy.

The Pip-Boy needed a moment to register it, but then it suddenly whirred to life with a new program that was being installed.

"What is this?" Lloyd asked as the program downloaded. Amata leaned over to look at his Pip-Boy screen.

"Why, it's a map of the Capital Wasteland!" Moira said proudly. "I've been putting it together for some time now. I've got some of the most important locations around the wastes marked on there, like Rivet City, Canterbury Commons, mostly just settlements. I've also got a few best guesses where some other things are."

The program finished downloaded and the disk popped out. Lloyd handed it to Amata, who did the same with her own Pip-Boy. Lloyd opened up the map and began to peruse it. The Capital Wasteland was a large place. He hoped his father hadn't gone further than the borders of the map. He noticed Megaton on the map, and not too far away were Springvale, Vault 101 and the Super-Duper Mart.

"This'll come in handy," Lloyd said, turning off the map. "Thanks, Moira."

"Hey, no problem! Anything to help you, and me, with my research! Remember: food's really important, and so's medicine. Just bring back knowledge of what you find out there, that's all I need. You can keep anything in the field you find, okay? And if there's nothing, well, just come back in one piece."

"We'll leave as soon as we're ready," Lloyd told her. As they left, Moira called out to them.

"Try not to die!"

Even though she had said it in good spirit, the two of them couldn't help but shiver slightly.

They headed for the large entrance and exited Megaton, stepping through the metal gate. Just outside of Megaton was a merchant caravan. Lloyd remembered Billy telling him about these wandering traders and how Billy used to ride with them. The merchant stood next to his brahmin, which was loaded with weaponry. The merchant himself wore a yellow jumpsuit and a worn-down baseball cap.

Lloyd approached the caravan, curious at what it sold. The merchant turned as he approached.

"Greetings, fellow student of the wasteland. I am known as Lucky Harith, and I bid you to relax, for we are in a place of safety," he spoke somewhat slowly, as if to purposefully add drama to his words. "The type of safety that can only be assured by an abundance of weaponry, both wicked and awesome. All of which can be yours," he indicated his brahmin beast of burden, "for the right price."

"Well then, I'm here to buy," Lloyd told him.

"Please, enjoy my collection of high-quality problem solvers," Lucky Harith bid him.

Lloyd looked at the collection of rifles, shotguns and other firearms. He reached out and slid a small .32 pistol out. It resembled an old cowboy six-shooter. "How much for one of these and some ammo?" Lloyd asked. "I could also use some more ten millimeter rounds for my own pistol."

"For those three things, say fifty bullets each and the pistol, I'll take a hundred and fifty caps," Harith said. Lloyd and Amata counted up the caps in silence, and handed them over. "Pleasure doing business."

Lloyd nodded and turned to face Amata. He handed her the recently purchased pistol, and she uneasily accepted it. She knew she wasn't nearly as good a shot as Lloyd, even though she was the only one he had ever shared knowledge of his old hidden shooting range in Vault 101 with. Only few times had she ever actually used his BB gun to try it out, and even in those times wasn't a very good marksman.

She stared at the pistol in her hands, and grew unsure of herself. She was broken out of her self-imposed trance by the appearance of Lloyd's hand over the gun in hers. She looked up at him.

"If it comes to using this, just let me handle all the shooting. If you can, just aim and shoot yourself. The noise alone might just scare them off," he told her.

She nodded, a little meekly.

"Do you know how to reload these things?" Lloyd asked. She shook her head. He smirked and said, "Me neither."

They spent some time learning from Lucky Harith how to reload her latest pistol, and Lloyd got some similar advice on how to maintain and reload his own weapon. With that, they were off, using their Pip-Boys to navigate their way to the Super-Duper mart. "Good luck, and keep yourselves alive out there," Harith called out as they left.

They headed west, using the Pip-Boy's built-in compass feature. As they navigated around some rocks and a wrecked vehicle, Amata spoke up.

"Lloyd, there's something moving up ahead," she told him. They both stopped. The sun was bright, and it was difficult to see. Lloyd squinted behind his goggles. Then, he saw it too.

"What is that?" he said, trying to get a better look. Whatever it was noticed the pair and began moving towards them. Lloyd began to hear a clicking noise as it approached, some twenty yards away.

"Lloyd..." Amata said with short breath. Then she got a good look at it.

It was an ant, about as large as a dog. It walked on all six legs, digging into the dirt as they supported the segmented body of the creature. Its abdomen hung low, almost dragging behind it. Its antennae wiggled above its large, black eyes. Its mandibles dripped with sickeningly thick juices.

Lloyd drew his pistol from its holster and fired, not really knowing where to shoot the monstrosity. His shot pierced part of its head, and it screamed a ghastly noise. It moved towards them faster.

Lloyd fired a few more times, losing his composition at the sight of the mutation. Luckily, his aim was true and it was dead by the time the last bullet he shot hit its mark.

"Another one!" Amata shouted, pointing to the top of a nearby hill. The creature walked past a destroyed metal phone line tower and advanced towards them. Lloyd tried to keep calm as he reloaded and killed it.

After waiting to see if there were more, and finding none, Lloyd knelt down to consider the recent kills.

Oddly fascinated with the mutation before him, he poked it a few times, just to feel its hide. Rough, yet smooth. He used his pistol to pry apart its mandibles, and inspected other parts of it. "You think that all the bugs we learned about in school are like this now?" Amata asked. "Giant, I mean?"

"I can't say for certain..." Lloyd replied, still studying the massive dead insect. "All we've seen, read or heard about so far is giant ants. Maybe they're the only species. I wonder if they're like what they used to be, you know, workers, warriors and queens. Maybe there's some kind of colony nearby that's full of these things... Or maybe..."

"Maybe what?" she asked.

"Maybe they're just big and attack anything that moves. I think I like that theory better," he said, standing up. "C'mon, let's go."

As they walked along the wrecked road, they passed a large, mostly scorched billboard advertising Captain Cosmos, some kind of fictional television character. They paid it little mind and continued on. As they neared the top of a hill, Amata grabbed his arm and pointed. "Look, Lloyd! I think that's it over there."

A lone building with a large parking lot wasn't too far off in the distance. It matched the location on their Pip-Boys. They could only see the back of it, and from what they saw it had a large air temperature control unit attached to the back of it, rusted over and broken. "That's gotta be it alright," Lloyd said. "There's no other building nearby. Let's go in for a closer look, shall we?"

As they headed downhill, a foul smell assaulted their nostrils. Lloyd saw them first. "Look," he said. They went to investigate and discovered several rotting brahmin corpses, their stomachs ripped apart and flesh torn out of their bodies. One had maggots the size of their fists crawling over it.

"Oh, god," Amata said, moving away from the sight and covering her mouth. Lloyd stared at the maggots, the scientific curiosity within him gaining footing.

"Maybe they're the ants young," he said. "Maybe they killed these things."

"Does it matter?" Amata said, her back still to the carcasses. "They're dead now, so... so let's just go already!"

Lloyd turned to rejoin her, and shortly thereafter they were approaching the back of the Super-Duper Mart. From here, they could see cars in the parking lot, including a large bus. As they approached, a man suddenly ran around the corner, saw them, and began screaming and hollering, waving his arms wildly. A strange black shape moved around the corner and was following him, moving quickly. They couldn't see what it was, only that something was behind him.

Lloyd drew his pistol and aimed. "Get down!" he shouted to the man. "Get down!"

The man kept running towards them, allowing Lloyd to get a good look at him as he screamed and cried for their help. The man was dressed like a wastelander, with brown clothing and a jacket. In his hand, he carried a pipe, no doubt used as a crude weapon. His leg was torn open and bleeding heavily.

"Get down!" Lloyd ordered again. He needed to shoot whatever was chasing him! The man was crying at him to kill it, whatever it was.

When the man was less than five feet from Lloyd, he stopped in his tracks as though he had reached the end of a rope tied to his chest, for his arms, legs and head suddenly jolted forward and he was lifted into the air a few feet. His shirt began to grow red, and Lloyd's eyes widened as he saw that something had pierced through the man's torso, the tip of it just poking through his brown shirt.

The large scorpion lifted up its claws and each gripped the man, one grabbing an arm and the other a leg, and the massive insect began to pull the screaming, dying wastelander apart. The claws dug into his flesh, and the mouth of the creature seemed to water.

Then, the scorpion noticed the terrified vault dwellers not far away from it. Its segmented tail ripped the man in half as the insect withdrew it, the now-bloody claws tossing the two halves of the man aside.

Lloyd shouted and fired at the monster, this unholy mutation that was now moving rapidly on six legs towards them. He fired wildly at its face, a collection of black eyes above its mouth. It was getting close. Amata shot as well, though she missed most of her blasts. She saw the scorpion lurch forward a bit, its tail preparing to strike, and she tackled Lloyd to the ground to avoid it. They turned to look at it, Lloyd sighting his pistol again in a shaky hand.

The large scorpion had fallen dead, its clawed arms and tail going limp. Its head was full of holes, and from each one leaked viscous, green liquid.

They steadied their breathing as they looked at this man-sized insect which had just, before their own eyes, torn a man asunder. "Holy shit..." Lloyd said as he looked at it. "It's bigger than those ants we killed..."

"Lloyd, I don't want to be out here anymore," Amata said. "I've seen enough gigantic bugs to last me a lifetime. Let's get inside the store and get what we came for so we can get the hell out of this place."

Lloyd didn't reply right away. "This is the wasteland," he said.

"Yeah, I know!" she said.

"No, that's not what I meant." He stood up. "This," he pointed at the scorpion, "this is the wasteland right here. Monsters that can tear a man in half."

Amata looked at the torso of the man, at his face, forever frozen in a look of terror.

"Why the hell would my father leave the vault for this?" he said, looking down at the monster. "He always warned me about the surface. Always told me it was no good. Always said that anyone up here would die if they went out there..."

Amata didn't know what to say. Lloyd chuckled, though not even he knew why.

"I wonder if this poor guy's father ever told him not to go out into the wasteland," he said quietly. Lloyd stood up and faced his companion. "I'm not going to end up like this guy, Amata. But I'm also not going to run from the wasteland and hide in Megaton. My father left the vault for this place, this hell, and I'm going to follow him. No matter what I find out here," he looked back at the scorpion, "I'm not going to stop until I find my father."

Amata looked at the scorpion again. "We should call them radscorpions," she said, surprising Lloyd.

"What?"

"Radscorpions. You know, like radroaches. We're going to find more of them out here, probably, so we should name them," she said.

Lloyd thought for a moment. "You don't want to go back to Megaton?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I followed you out of 101, Lloyd. I'll follow you into the wastes, too. Doesn't mean I like it, but I like you, so at least there's that."

After a few seconds, Lloyd nodded. "Let's get into the store."

They approached the parking lot, and dauntingly enough, heard gunshots. Amata got behind Lloyd as he poked his head around a corner. A man with dark skin, a mohawk and a pistol was shooting at a floating robot, much like the one they encountered in Springvale, that town near the vault. The robot was floating nearer and shooting red lasers at the man from a small emitter on its underside. The man took a hit in the shoulder and ducked behind some cover, cursing.

Lloyd assumed that the robot was attacking killing an innocent, so he came out from behind the corner and fired at the robot a few times and destroyed it. The man whipped around and saw Lloyd. At the sight of his supposed savior, the man aimed his own pistol and pulled the trigger, but it clicked; out of ammo.

The man screamed in primal fury as he charged at Lloyd, drawing a shining knife. "I'll cut your fuckin' balls off, kid!" he cried.

Lloyd didn't have a world of time to react, so he fired at the crazed man. The bullet hit him in the neck, and he fell down, choking up his own blood. Amata averted her eyes.

Lloyd blinked, getting between Amata and the man. "He was going to attack us with the knife," Lloyd said. "A damn knife…" Amata wasn't sure if his justification was for her, or himself. Either way, Lloyd walked up to the dead body.

"This guy's armor is strange," he said. Most of his chest was exposed, and it seemed patched together with various bits of clothing and junk. A strap ran across his chest.

"Leave him, Lloyd," Amata said.

"I think he was a raider," Lloyd said.

"What?"

"I think he was a raider, and there might be more nearby. Maybe he attacked that robot, and it was defending itself," he said, standing up. He was holding some ammo he had taken from the raider's body, and his pistol. "Thought it was the opposite…"

"Lloyd!" Amata said, indicating the loot. Lloyd shrugged.

"He's not going to need it anymore. They're .32 rounds, they'll work in your pistol," he said, holding them out to her.

"You're okay with looting a dead body?" she asked.

"No, I'm not. I don't like it, but he has ammo that we can use, and he's dead and we're not," Lloyd told her. "We can sell extra guns and ammo for caps. I doubt I'm the only one who's done this before. I plan to survive out here, Amata, and to do that we're going to need to learn a few things. Besides," Lloyd said, pointing to the front of the store, "it's not like we're not doing that to those bodies."

Amata gasped as she saw what he was pointing at. A concrete ceiling ran the length of the front of the store, providing shade, but also providing space for dead bodies at the end of hooked chains to be hung from. Mutilated wastelanders hung very still, some missing limbs or heads, some hanging from multiple chains. Splayed out for all to see.

Amata almost threw up at the horrible sight. That and a stray wind carried the smell of the bodies to the both of them. "That's horrible..." she said, almost at a loss for words.

Lloyd nodded. "Raiders." She didn't argue with him, because she agreed with him. Something caught her eyes in the distance, and she alerted Lloyd.

A female raider, presumably, judging from her outfit, was using a pistol to attack another floating robot as it blared out cheery radio music. Before either could intervene, it fired a bright red laser at her face, completely disintegrating her head. The body fell to the ground, lifeless, the neck wound cauterized. The robot continued its merry music playing as it floated away, down the road in a different direction.

"Well, that was odd," Lloyd said, walking up to the now headless body.

"Shouldn't we, I don't know, kill that thing?" Amata asked.

"Why? It seems to only fight in self-defense, so we don't have a reason to kill it. It had a reason to kill this raider, though," he said, kneeling over her corpse.

"What are you doing?" Amata asked.

"She has a pistol like mine, 10mm. And ammo," Lloyd said. "And she's dead."

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." Amata said. She turned around and noticed something in front of the store. "Hey Lloyd, there's a refrigerator in front of the store," she told him. He stood up, putting the extra pistol in his backpack.

"Well, what do you know," he said. "I wonder what it's doing in the middle of the parking lot, not connected to anything." They approached it, and Amata opened it. Though they were near the hanging corpses, they tried their best to disregard them, despite the horrible smell.

"Water!" she exclaimed, taking out two bottles of clean, pure water.

"How 'bout that," Lloyd said. There were eight bottles of water in the fridge, all clean and pure.

"Think they were guarding the water?"

"From what?" Amata asked.

"The scorpion, maybe," he replied.

"Maybe the man running away was guarding the water and these two set the scorpion on him, then got attacked by the robots," she theorized.

"I can't imagine the scorpion being a pet for raiders," Lloyd said. "A lot of stuff happens out here, obviously. We just happened upon whatever was going on."

"Yeah. Let's take the water and get inside. Think Moira'll want to know about this?" Amata asked.

"She'll learn either way," Lloyd said. They each took four bottles and put them in their packs. With that, they entered the Super-Duper Mart through a door with broken glass.

It was dark inside, with barely any florescent lighting. That which still worked was very dim at best, or flickering at random. They were in a small entranceway; the main floor of the store was about one large room full of shelves, most of them empty or knocked over. Amata and Lloyd crouched down beside a wall and looked out into the store.

"See anything?" Amata whispered.

"I see people," Lloyd answered. "They're walking around the tops of the food shelves with guns, and they're wearing armor like the ones outside. And in the back... I see bodies, like the ones outside. Hanging from the ceiling at the ends of chains."

"Raiders," Amata breathed. Lloyd only nodded. "How many?"

"I can't tell, it's dark towards the back of the room," he said. "At least four that I can see."

"What's the plan?" Amata asked.

"I can't say we should go in guns blazing," Lloyd told her. "But I don't know how we can avoid a firefight with these guys." He looked back at her. "We can go back, if you want, to Megaton I mean. We found the water, maybe that's enough."

For a moment, Amata seriously considered running back to Megaton. She pulled out her pistol, and reloaded it. As she did, she spoke. "Water isn't medicine, at least not the kind we're here to find. And, if I can be honest… I think these guys should pay."

Lloyd was taken slightly aback. "You sure?"

"Those people didn't hook themselves on those chains," she said with a disgusted look, holding up her pistol. "I'll follow your lead."

Lloyd nodded. Inwardly, he prepared himself. Prepared himself to kill.

Lloyd ran out, fast and low, past a row of cash registers and checkout aisles to his left and a small room to his right, and aimed at a raider that was walking between two aisles. The raider pulled out a knife and shouted a warning to the others before Lloyd fired three shots, two of them hitting their marks, one of which being the raider's head.

As the raider fell, he heard more shouting. Amata was behind him then, and they looked for movement in the dark, barely-lit store. Lloyd walked down the aisle the dead raider was in, keeping his head low and his gun up. As he neared the dead body, he saw another raider standing behind a frozen food counter and loading up a rifle. Lloyd took a moment to aim, lined up his shot and fired once, just as the man noticed him. The raider died as the bullet pierced his eye and exited his head through the back of his skull.

Lloyd, still crouched and with Amata following, stepped out of the aisle. Immediately, he saw movement out of the left corner of his eye.

"This is gonna hurt you, punk!" a female raider called out. The raider shot at Lloyd, but fortunately wasn't a very good shot in the dark. Lloyd ducked behind a shelf, and Amata opened up on the raider with her .32. Like the raider, she wasn't a very good shot, but managed to get a lucky hit on the raider's kneecap. She screamed and Lloyd popped out of cover, took advantage of the situation and shot the raider in the chest three times. She fell over and did not move any longer.

Amata and Lloyd ducked into the aisle he was in to reload. They could hear more shouting and movement. "Get them!" "Fucking assholes!" "Shoot 'em in the head!" "Fuck'em up!"

Lloyd glanced at Amata. She was sweating, and breathing deeply. Adrenaline was pumping through her, and Lloyd felt the same. Deciding not to waste any time, he moved back out into the open, but he saw nobody. They were in the back half of the store, now, and some rooms could be found, blocked off only by a waist-high counter. Lloyd looked down at the female raider he and Amata had just shot. He saw that she had been wielding a rifle, a hunting rifle which, to Lloyd, resembled his old BB gun. Deciding to take the weapon for his own, he reached for it.

He was met with a bullet in his left arm. He shouted as he pulled his arm back and looked to this right where the blast had come from. A single raider, his attacker, stood in one of the aisles. Lloyd raised his pistol and fired, his teeth gritted and his brow furrowed in pain. Lloyd fired five times, mostly hitting the raider in the gut. The man grabbed his stomach in pain and howled as he fell over, dying.

A raider appeared behind a counter in one of the enclosed rooms. Amata saw him first, and fired wildly, inaccurately. The raider took cover though, and Amata did the same while she struggled to reload and stay calm at the same time. 'This is crazy!' she thought.

Lloyd gripped his arm wound in pain, but noticed another raider coming out of the same hallway. This one had some kind of rifle, and when he opened up in the general direction of Lloyd, he quickly learned that it was an automatic assault rifle. The man was aiming from the hip, not even really lining up his shot. Lloyd could tell the man was hoping that the spray of bullets would simply hit his target and kill it.

Lloyd was smarter. As bullets peppered the ground around and near him, he carefully aimed and the man was dead. He hadn't even hit Lloyd once. 'Hope all raiders are that bad at aiming,' he thought, then the pain in his arm reminded him about the unfortunate inaccuracy of that hope.

At the sound of a sudden gunshot from behind him, he looked to Amata, who had just killed the raider behind the counter. Amata had taken advantage of the raider's hiding behind cover to get close and shoot him in the face when he popped out. A risky but successful strategy. Lloyd was about to congratulate her, when he noticed she was shaking. He walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder, startling her. She sighed.

"He… he's dead now," she said uneasily. Lloyd understood what she was going through.

"I know the feeling," he reassured her, calming his breathing. "It doesn't go away easily." He looked around. "I think we got them all..." he said to her, making her look around as well. He spoke, "We… should probably look for food."

Amata noticed that the left arm of his jumpsuit was stained red. "Lloyd! You're hurt!" She reached for his arm but he pulled it back.

"It's nothing, really," he said. "Didn't even graze the bone. I'll shoot a stimpak in, clean it up and get it wrapped; it'll heal in no time. Don't worry. I'll handle it right now. Don't wait up for me, just search the shelves and we'll get out of here. The sooner the better."

With some additional convincing, Amata nodded and walked off to search the shelves. Lloyd went about the grim business of searching the dead bodies for weapons and ammo that he could carry and either use or later sell for caps.

A few minutes later, after fixing his arm, Lloyd was growing increasingly frustrated. None of the shelves in the main area of the store had food on them. None! Only empty cans and glass bottles and other pieces of trash. 'The raiders wouldn't have taken this place for themselves unless it had food,' Lloyd thought. Suddenly, he heard Amata's voice calling out that she had found food.

He moved to the front of the store, to a small room that they had passed when they initially entered the store. Once inside, Amata showed him a refrigerator. "These things have been pretty lucky for us lately, huh?" she asked as she opened it. Inside were boxes of food, like potatoes and steak, along with dehydrated foodstuffs meant to last a long time. Lloyd smiled at sight of the bounty.

"I could kiss you right now, you know," he said.

"Why don't you?" she asked with a smile.

A loud noise rang out through the store, a shopping cart being knocked over. Both turned when they heard it.

"That'd be a reason," Lloyd said, pulling out his pistol and reloading it. He approached the counter and looked out into the store. He saw nothing. "Don't try it!" he called out. There was no response.

"Think someone's out there?" Amata asked.

"Stay here, I'll go find out," Lloyd told her. He hopped over the counter and walked forward, his gun leading his steps. He moved slowly, deliberately, trying to find any hint of movement in the aisles. He circled around the front of the store and found nothing.

He heard a noise behind him, a loud thumping sound. Amata screamed and Lloyd whipped around.

It was facing him, it's horrible, mutated eyes fixed on him. They were set over a maw filled with white teeth, with sets of mandibles at the corners. The creature's body was large, as large as Lloyd's, and was covered in thick, black hair. Its legs, all eight of them, were equally as hairy. They were segmented. Attached to its body, behind the creature, was a large, bulbous abdomen.

The mutant spider seemed to snarl wickedly as it took large steps towards Lloyd, its mouth making clicking and gasping noises. The only thing that snapped him out of his terrorized trance was Amata's scream. He raised his pistol and fired at the face of the creature, at those miserable eyes. It wailed, a horrible high-pitched noise, and advanced on Lloyd, who quickly turned and ran.

Amata leapt over the table and chased after the mutant arachnid, firing her pistol. She missed and her gun quickly ran out of ammo. She tossed it aside and pulled out her bat.

Lloyd turned right and began running past the shelves, trying in vain to escape the large, yet swift spider. It was right behind him, its legs suited for moving along the cramped spaces of the aisles. He ran up to a meat counter and hopped over it, and the spider followed. He ran into a hallway, and the spider followed him still. Amata did not hop over the counter, hoping to hell that Lloyd would run out of the hallway and back into the store.

Lloyd turned right, running through the hallway that led. Clearing the hallway door and leaping over the bodies of two raiders, Lloyd ran past Amata.

The spider leapt out of the hallway, soaring through the air. It would have landed on Lloyd's back had it not been for Amata. She swung the bat at the creature as hard as she could, breaking it in half and causing the spider to crash into a shelf. Lloyd turned around and saw Amata beating and stabbing the mutation with the remainder of her bat. He took the opportunity to reload and joined her, firing into the creature again and again, until it was very, very still, the last of its legs twitching before finally settling.

They were both breathing heavily. They looked at each other, and Lloyd looked at her bat. "Whatever it takes, right?" he said, echoing his words from earlier. She threw the broken bat aside and crashed into him, holding him tightly and kissing him.

"I thought that thing was going to kill you," she said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Yeah, and you killed the hell out of it," he said, smiling. He laughed, but she didn't. She was too happy to laugh, if such a thing existed. They stood like that for a moment longer before parting.

"I'm glad you're relieved. We should get the food, and search the rest of the store for the medicine. Let's be quick about it," he said, looking to the spider. "We don't want any more surprises."

"Where'd it come from?" Amata mused. "Think the raiders knew about it?"

"I don't know," Lloyd said. "Must've come from somewhere... Maybe a hole in the wall or the roof... maybe even the air ducts," he said, looking around at the ceiling. "Ants, scorpions and now spiders. I wonder if there's anything in the wasteland that's not a giant bug."

"I hope so," Amata said. "...Then again, I'd prefer no mutants at all."

"Let's move."

They returned to the refrigerator to collect the food. Nearby on a table they found some strange-looking pistols. They looked cobbled together out of different parts, and in some areas, they were taped and glued. "Crude, homemade pistols maybe?" Lloyd thought aloud. The metal on the pistol was shiny, and there were some wires running across it. From the bottom of the grip to the front of the pistol was a piece of metal bent at ninety degrees, giving the gun a rather squared appearance.

"There's another one here," Amata said, holding up another she had just picked up. Next to both pistols were small little metal contraptions that resembled three batteries, side-by-side, connected together with a metal casing, in the center of which was a lightning bolt symbol. "What're these things?" she asked, holding one up.

"Ammo, maybe. Let's pack them up and see if we can sell them later." He set his backpack down and collected them quickly. Amata was about to do the same, then noticed two metal green boxes labeled "Ammo" tucked away in a lower shelf. She knelt down to pick them up and set them on the table. She opened the first, and inside were more of the energy cells.

"Apparently, they _are_ ammo," she said. She tried opening the second one, but it was locked.

"Leave it," Lloyd said, and was about to make no more of it, but Amata had other plans. She took out a bobby pin and screwdriver and with them, went to work on the lock. Silently, Lloyd watched as she unlocked the ammunition crate. "Impressive," he said honestly as she loaded up her pack with the energy cells within. "Before we leave, I want to check the back of the store. It's the only area, aside from the bathrooms, that we haven't check out yet."

In the back, behind the counters, they found some more ammunition crates. A few of them were locked, and Amata made short work of them with her bobby pins. They collected some assault rifle ammo clips, military-grade fragmentation grenades and custom-made landmines. The raiders were certainly stockpiled, and the two companions were certainly reaping the benefits of what they found.

Then, they located what they assumed had to be the location of the medicine they were searching for. They found a door labeled "Pharmacy." Next to it was a man bolted to the wall with pieces of metal. The man was missing his left arm, head and right hand. They averted their eyes from the dismal sight and covered their noses from the awful smell. 'Undignified,' Lloyd thought. 'Nobody deserves that.' Silently, Amata shared his thoughts.

The door that they hoped led to the medicine had a computer next to it, which Lloyd sat down in front of and booted up.

"Do you think it can unlock the door?" Amata asked.

"Maybe. I don't know the password, so I'll have to hack it," he informed her. "These old terminals aren't as advanced as the ones in the vault. Should be easy."

Lloyd was good at computers; it came from experience with his old job in the vault. Though, admittedly, he let his Pip-Boy do most of the work for him. Linking it into the old terminal through its universal port, he began running his Pip-Boy's code-cracking routines. After just a few short moments, he had cracked the code and the door was unlocked. It clicked and slowly opened.

"What was the password?" Amata asked. Lloyd chuckled.

"Produce. Expected, I suppose," he said. They entered the back room.

There were many shelves, most of them empty or full of junk. However, something immediately caught Lloyd's eye: a medicine cabinet on the wall. Walking up to it, he opened it up. Inside were some painkillers, stimpaks, a blood pack, some radiation pills, shots of Med-X and other pharmaceuticals. As Lloyd stripped the cabinet of the medicine, Amata searched the shelves, finding some more ammunition for various sorts of firearms, in addition to some more medicine. Near the back, she found something else. "Hey Lloyd, Nuka-Cola!" she said, holding up a bottle. There were cases of it in the back of the room.

Lloyd didn't respond with anything other than a small, "Huh." He was too busy looking at something he hadn't noticed before. A large canister made of metal, resembling a pod with a window. Inside was a protectron robot, like Deputy Weld back in Megaton. Amata, noting his lack of response, turned and saw what he was looking at.

"Is that a robot?" she asked, peering into the man-sized chamber.

"Yeah, like the one we saw in Megaton," he said. "I wonder if it's still active..."

"There's a computer next to it. Maybe you can boot it up," Amata said.

Lloyd turned and saw the terminal. He also noticed a disk atop it labeled "Employee ID."

"Jackpot," he said, grabbing the disk and loading it into the terminal. He logged on with the identification and found within its subroutines a command to activate the RobCo protectron unit.

The chamber hissed to life as the front half of it split into two doors which slid apart. The protectron's head lit up with a bright light and it began to move. It spoke in a monotone, computer-generated voice, also just like Deputy Weld. It stated its name, function, and any existing errors in its programming. It began what it referred to as a "store security protocol" and with that, it left the pharmacy and began to walk around the store.

"Well... that was odd," Lloyd said.

Amata nodded. "This place has been really strange, Lloyd. I'm glad we're getting out of here."

"Same. What about those bottles of Nuka-Cola?" he said, walking up to a box of them. "They're still full. Think they're any good after all this time?"

"I don't know. We only had refrigerated bottles in the vault," she replied. "Let's take them and cool them off in the fridge back home. Maybe they'll be good, yeah?" Lloyd nodded in response and they began loading them up in his backpack.

As Lloyd picked up his fifth bottle, he noticed something odd. "What the hell is this..." he muttered.

It was a bottle of Nuka-Cola, only it had a glowing, purple liquid inside. It glowed brightly and fiercely, like a glow stick. Under the Nuka-Cola label was a bright purple logo that read "Quantum!"

"I don't think we should drink the glowing liquid," Lloyd said. Amata looked up from packing bottles into her backpack and noticed the bluish-purple glow.

"I think you're right," she said, regarding the Nuka-Cola Quantum bottle skeptically.

With that, they were all ready to leave the room, when Lloyd noticed something on one of the shelves. "Hold on," he said to Amata, walking over and picking it up. "What's this?"

It resembled a small nuclear bomb. It was painted green with yellow stripes, and had hazard signs on it. It was roughly the size of a football.

"Some kind of toy?" Amata wondered.

"It's heavy," Lloyd noted, picking it up. "Think it's some kind of explosive? A firework, maybe?"

"We should ask Moira or Harith and see what they know about it," Amata offered. Lloyd agreed and packed the apparent mini nuke in his backpack, taking care to do so.

They left the store shortly thereafter. It was high noon. As they walked back onto the parking lot, Lloyd took out the hunting rifle he had taken from the dead raider. It reminded him very much of his old BB gun. He was confident his skill with his old toy rifle would easily transfer to this much more deadly weapon.

They began walking back to Megaton, backtracking and following the landmarks they noticed on their way over. "So... today was... interesting," Lloyd said, making conversation.

"Shot a couple people, fought a bunch of giant bugs and saw over seven men torn into pieces and used to decorate walls," Amata deadpanned. "Interesting."

"Nobody said the wasteland would be pretty."

"Yeah."

They were silent for a short while. Not long after they had passed the two corpses of the ants they had shot earlier, they heard a voice call out to them.

"Hold it!"

They both turned and saw a man standing atop a nearby hill, looking down at them. He wore a rugged outfit and sunglasses masked his eyes. His face was rough and worn, and he had a thick, blonde beard. On his belt was, oddly enough, a sheathed sword. He spoke with an odd accent neither of them had heard before. In his hands was a pistol, a model Lloyd had never seen before. It was aimed directly at them.

"Drop your guns and get your hands up."

"Hold on, we can talk about this," Lloyd tried to be diplomatic. He didn't want this to end violently.

"Shut up and do what I told you."

Neither of them moved. Amata spoke. "What do you want?"

The man looked at Amata. "You."

Lloyd's fists curled. "The hell is that supposed to mean?" he wasn't about to let some wastelander have his way with Amata, not over his dead body.

"Her daddy wants her back home. He brought me out of retirement to find you. Didn't take me long to find you two, with that commotion you made in Megaton."

Lloyd's mind reeled at that. "What?!" Amata nearly cried. "My father?"

The man nodded.

"Just come with me and everyone will be happy. There's no need to make your father any more worried than he already is."

The two escapees looked at each other. "I'm not going anywhere," she said determinately.

"I'm not looking for a yes or no answer, girl. I'm here to take you back whether you like it or not."

"What's he paying you?" Lloyd asked.

"Nothing."

"Then why are you doing it!?" Lloyd shouted.

"I have my reasons. And now, my patience is wearing thin. Either you come with me, or this gets violent," the man threatened, aiming at Lloyd.

Amata breathed steadily, but had difficulty doing so. "What about Lloyd?"

"He'll get to go free. It's you I'm after, not him. Unless you don't come willingly, that is."

"You don't have to do this," Lloyd said, holding up his hands. "You have to understand why we left!"

"I don't care," he said. "I'm only doing my job."

Amata was getting desperate, and fearful. "Tell my father that he can take care of the vault just fine without me!" Amata said defiantly. He raised his gun, and Lloyd scrambled to grab his own.

A gunshot rang out.

The man fell over dead, a one of his shades broken. A bullet had hit him square in the eye.

Lloyd and Amata were stunned, completely frozen. When Lloyd worked up the nerve to turn aside, he caught only one glimpse of their savior. He wore a tan-colored overcoat with a tie. His pants were a brown color, and he wore a fedora. In his hand was a smoking magnum with a scope.

And then, he was gone, vanishing right before Lloyd's eyes. 'He's gone… Invisibility?' Lloyd thought.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Amata, very much oblivious to their unforeseen ally.

Lloyd tried to respond, but found himself at a loss for words. He swallowed, trying to find some.

"I saw... somebody," he said.

"Who?" she asked.

"I... I don't know... he was a stranger."

"Where'd he go?" Amata asked, looking in the general direction Lloyd was looking.

"He just... disappeared," he muttered just loud enough for her to hear him.

"What do you mean by that?" She got no response. "Lloyd!"

"I don't know!" he said, turning to face her. "I only saw him for a second, then he was gone! Invisible! Teleported away, I don't know!"

They were both silent for a moment, contemplating what had happened.

Amata held up her hands and tried to steady her breathing as Lloyd returned to scanning the horizon for the missing stranger. "Let's get back to Megaton, Lloyd. Things made sense there. I hate the wasteland..." Amata murmured. Lloyd couldn't help but agree with her. Before they left the area, Lloyd knelt over the man hired by the Overseer and took his strange gun and ammo. He also decided to take the man's sword.

He looked back at Amata and noticed her quickly wipe her eye clean of a tear. Immediately, he dropped the loot, sprang up and went to embrace her, an embrace which she quickly returned. They were both breathing heavily. "I'm glad you're not hurt," he said, hugging her close to his body.

"Me too," she said, muffled. They stood like that for a short moment before parting.

Nothing happened as they made their way back to Megaton in silence. They reported to Moira in Craterside Supply, and told her everything about what had happened, excluding the man they encountered on their way back to Megaton and the mysterious stranger who had been their guardian angel. She recorded every detail in her notebook, especially about the locations of food, ammo and medicine, and other details like the raiders, giant spider and water.

"It's interesting how some of the best things you found were located in refrigerators," Moira noted. "I'll have to include that in the book!"

"We were wondering if you could identify a few things for us," Lloyd said, sliding off his pack. He took out one of the strange pistols they had found near the food in the store. He handed it to Moira.

"Well, this is your standard military-grade AEP7 laser pistol!" Moira told them. "Great condition, too!" She popped open a small compartment on the side. "Out of energy cells, though," she said. Lloyd took one of the battery-like cells. "That's it!" Moira said, grabbing it from his hands. She loaded it into the compartment built into the side of the grip, and closed it with a small slap. She aimed at a wall and fired.

A bright red flash emerged from the gun, a straight line of red energy which appeared only for a moment, and all that remained was a scorch mark on the wall. Moira handed it back to Lloyd.

"Anything else?" she asked. Lloyd pulled out the football-sized nuke. As soon as Moira saw it, her eyes widened. "Be careful!" she nearly cried, rushing over and taking it from him.

"Wh, what?" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"This thing is a mini-nuke! It can blow up a house!" Moira said, holding it close to her chest.

"Is it a weapon?" Amata asked.

"Ammo for a weapon," Moira answered. "It's a kind of handheld catapult that launched these things where you aim. They're called a 'Fat Man,' and they were built before the war. I'd like to get my hands on one myself."

"Wow," Lloyd said. Moira looked at him.

"Want it? I'll buy it off ya," she said, indicating the mini-nuke.

"Actually, yes," Amata said, pulling out some pistols. "We were hoping to sell you some scavenge."

"Gladly!" Moira beamed. "Afterwards, I'll give you your reward for the research you've done!"

They traded all of their excess pistols, save for the two laser pistols they had found. Moira couldn't pay for all of their scavenged goods with just her merchant money so they traded for most of the extra weapons. Deciding they would be useful, Lloyd kept the unique weapons they had found: the hunting rifle, assault rifle, the sword and ten of the grenades. Everything else they sold or traded for, gaining more ammunition, medicine and food. They also traded some of the guns in exchange for Moira to repair some of their equipment, notably their new weapons, which were in poor condition due to the inexperienced hands of the raiders who used them.

Lloyd learned that the hunting rifle used .32 rounds, similar to Amata's old pistol, which she had decided to sell and instead keep a ten millimeter pistol like Lloyd's.

They spent some time packing all of their current equipment back into their packs, splitting guns and ammo evenly save for Lloyd, who kept the rifles for himself. Amata took the sword, finding it a rather fit replacement for her broken and discarded bat.

"Now, for your reward!" Moira said, indicating for them to follow. She led them to the back of her store, showing them two strange machines that were each about the size of a pre-war microwave. "Ta-da!" Moira said.

"...What are they?" Amata asked.

"This one," Moira said, pointing to the one on the left, "is a food sanitizer. And this one, on the right, is a water purifier I repaired. They're a little rough around the edges, but they're all yours!"

"These could be useful," Lloyd said, kneeling down. He picked up the sanitizer and stood up with it. "Should we, I don't know, put these in our home?" he asked.

"Yup! C'mon, I'll show you how to hook them up and get them running. Put and food or water in the two of them, and it should make them, um... better!" Moira told them. "They run on microfusion cells. Before the war, those little things were really nifty! Nowadays most people use them for ammo for the bigger laser guns, but there's all sorts of stuff they can power."

As they exited her store, Moira told her silent bodyguard to watch the place while she was gone. As they moved across the shack rooftops and around town, Lloyd was suddenly interrupted by a woman.

"Excuse me!" she said, and the three of them stopped to consider the settler.

"Yes?" Lloyd asked. The woman seemed unsure of herself.

"I... I wish there were more people like you in the world," she said, obviously nervous. "You saved this whole town! Who knows what would have happened if Burke had found someone who wasn't a saint, like you!"

Before Lloyd could respond, she held out some clips of 5.56 rifle ammunition.

"I want you to have these bullets," the woman said. "You'll need them, and deserve them, more than I do!"

"Um," Lloyd said, noticing that a fair deal of Megaton was suddenly watching him again. "Well, if it means that much to you," he said, reaching out and taking the clips and stuffing them in his jumpsuit pocket.

"Good luck!" the woman said, before running off.

Lloyd and Amata both thought it was a little odd, but flattering. They shrugged at each other. 'Who knows? Maybe those bullets would come in handy.' That's what they thought as they followed Moira back to their home to install the new equipment that would make their food and water just a bit cleaner and not very much radioactive.

Outside their home was a bag of food. Food! An entire bag of it! Amata and Lloyd were stunned, to say the least. Lloyd shook his head. This was getting a little overwhelming. He set the sanitizer down and looked through the plastic bag. Steak, potatoes, Sugar Bombs, enough to last the both of them about a solid week. "Who gave this to us?" Lloyd said aloud, to nobody in particular as he didn't really think that either Moira nor Amata really knew. However, he did get an answer.

"I did," Billy Creel said, walking up to the three of them.

"What?" Lloyd asked as he stood up, slightly dumfounded.

"I figured both o'ya could use this here food more'n me and Maggie, so I made myself a little donation, as it were," he said, smiling.

Lloyd smiled at the charity, but shook his head. "We don't need this, Billy, really. Amata and I'll be going out into the wastes more often now, so we can find our own-"

"Nah don't you go an' give me the same speech I gave ta the two'a ya before ya taught me a few things," Billy interrupted Lloyd. "Don't be turnin' down this 'ere food, Lloyd. It'll just break mah heart," he joked.

Lloyd chuckled softly then nodded. "Okay, Billy. Thanks. But you get nothing out of this," he said, slightly concerned.

Billy looked up and smirked. "Not nothin'." He looked over behind Lloyd and tilted his head forward, telling Lloyd to look. Lloyd turned to follow his gaze.

Maggie was playing catch with Harden, Sheriff Lucas' kid. They were tossing around the ball that Lloyd had given her.

Lloyd was slightly startled when he felt Billy's hand clasp his shoulder. "You're alright, kid," Billy told him then he walked away. Lloyd turned to face Moira and Amata.

"You're a regular messiah, Lloyd. Donations left and right around here," Amata joked, before entering their home.

Moira laughed and added, "If the Church of Atom ever goes down, maybe they could worship him, eh?" poking fun.

Lloyd merely shook his head as he entered behind them, carrying both the sanitizer and the bag of food. "Think there's anything in here that's good for lunch?" Lloyd wondered aloud.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	4. Guides and Consequences

The very night of Lloyd and Amata's return to Megaton, the door of Vault 101 slid open again. It had been doing a lot of that recently, in stark contrast to its usual state of lockdown.

The law of the vault was broken once more as two people left the vault that night: vault officers Wolfe and Park, the two who had let Lloyd and Amata go, against the Overseer's orders. Very recently, they had accompanied the Overseer to the surface alongside the strange man the Overseer knew somehow. The two officers weren't even the officers entrusted with the knowledge of the man's existence. During the Freeman escape, however, the others had all died or suffered significant injury, save for Officer Gomez, which promoted them in rank.

The man, the bounty hunter, had a heart monitor which operated on a certain radio frequency. It had been what alerted the Overseer to his death. Furious, he commanded Wolfe and Park to go outside and find his body to investigate his death. He needed to know what had killed him. If he had died of a gunshot, the Overseer would assume that the ever-troublesome Lloyd, the kidnapper of his daughter, was responsible. If otherwise... the Overseer left it at that. He wanted to know what had happened.

Wolfe hated the outside; years of underground life had indoctrinated him to it, and as such, he felt incredible fear of not being surrounded by walls. He felt exposed. But he knew better than to disobey the Overseer, and so he and Park, reluctantly, ventured into the wasteland. Their Pip-Boys had been configured with a special frequency detection module that would let them track the exact position of the man's body.

"Fucking hate it out here," Wolfe commented. The moonlight lit the land, just enough to see.

"I know. So do I. He's not far, let's just get it over with," Park said, walking around a rock. Both of their pistols were out, not due to any signs of danger, but for apprehension of it.

"The Overseer's getting fucking crazy, I tell you," Wolfe said. "He should just have let his daughter and that Freeman kid rot out here and leave it at that."

"He's a passionate man, and he knows what's best for the vault," Park reminded his partner of the Overseer's creed, even if he didn't believe it himself.

"He's putting us in danger out here, and I swear to god it's not worth it," Wolfe said. Suddenly, he jerked around, waving his gun. "Did you hear that?! I heard something!" he cried.

"Shut up," Park said as he stopped. He listened for a moment, only catching the wind. "I don't hear anything. Let's keep going, he should be just up over that hill."

Park led the way, Wolfe stepping backwards, convinced he had heard something. His gun hand was shaking and he tried his best to steady his nerves.

"I see the body!" Park called, suddenly far away. Wolfe turned around and realized that he hadn't kept up with the other officer as quickly as he had thought. Park was atop a hill, and he moved down the back of it, out of sight. Nervously, Wolfe walked up the hill, but stumbled a little and tripped. As he hit the ground, he thought he heard a noise. Had Park said something?

"Hey, Park!" Wolfe said, standing up and dusting himself off. "Park!"

No response.

Wolfe's blood chilled. Gripping his gun tightly, his hands suddenly very sweaty and his mouth very dry, he ran up the hill. He stopped and aimed at the bottom clearing, where Park and the corpse should have been.

The irrational part of Wolfe's mind made him freeze in terror. The rational part of Wolfe's mind figured it all out. The monster that was currently tearing Park to pieces and shredding his insides, feasting on his organs, had clearly happened upon the bounty hunter earlier that day. It ate his heart, and that is how they tracked it here. Not the man, but the monster that had consumed him.

It stood at least eight feet tall, maybe more, as it was hunched over on wicked, devil-like legs. Its horns curved forward, like a bull. It had a tail that slithered from side to side in apparent, cruel delight as it dined upon Officer Park. Its hide was rough, leathery, like a lizard's. And its claws... Those horrible, death-giving claws...

It turned and saw Wolfe. Its eyes burned through the night with a cold, white luminescence. It opened its mouth, full of dagger-like teeth. From its throat emerged a malevolent hiss that grew into an awful, spine-wracking howl.

It charged up the hill, faster than a creature of its size would appear to be able to move.

To Wolfe's credit, he made it to the bottom of his side of the hill before it caught him.

* * *

Lloyd's eyes slowly blinked open, adjusting to the dim lighting in his shack's bedroom. Groggily, he lifted up his left arm and checked the time on his Pip-Boy. 'Half past five in the morning...' he thought, barely coherent. He was thirsty; the curse of being a mouth-breather while he slept left him with a dry mouth each morning. 'Some water in the fridge...'

He tried to move, but then realized and remembered he was not alone in the small bed. Amata was still fast asleep, her head resting comfortably on his chest. Unconsciously in the night, his right arm had wrapped around her waist. Their vault jumpsuits were lazily thrown in one corner, leaving them only in their underclothing, which consisted of white tees and semi-tight underwear.

'This is going to take some getting used to,' he thought. "Amata."

She groaned lazily in response. He smiled. "Amata, wake up, it's the morning."

"Couple more minutes..." she said, curling up against him.

He chuckled softly. "While I'm enjoying the company, I need my arm for the day's activities. It's kind of needed. I'm right-handed, you see," Lloyd said, his smile growing. She looked up at him through half-closed eyes.

"Quit being a smartass..." she quipped.

Minutes later, they were redressed in their jumpsuits and getting ready for the day. "You know, sooner or later we're going to have to find new clothing, or at least, wash these suits. And ourselves. Is there a shower somewhere in town?" she asked.

"No idea," Lloyd said. "Haven't thought about it, but now that I am, I don't know how anybody keeps clean in the wastes."

"Maybe they don't," Amata thought aloud. Lloyd grew quiet and zipped up his suit. 'That's one thing I miss about the vault,' Amata thought, 'a nice morning shower.'

Lloyd was more determined to focus on the brighter side of things. "I'm going to head downstairs and see about breakfast," he told her. She followed him down a minute later, having finished tying her dark hair back.

"What's on the menu?" Amata asked Lloyd, who was in the kitchen area.

"Crappy food or slightly less crappy food? I'm sorry, it's all pretty crappy," Lloyd joked, pulling out some Sugar Bombs. "Cereal?" he asked. She nodded. He tossed her the box.

"No bowls yet, eh?" she said, opening it up and eating a handful of the nuke-shaped treats.

"I'll let you know when I come across a full set of china and silverware while out in the wastes." He grabbed the box from her, taking some out and popping them in his mouth. The sugar hardly masked the staleness. It took some coercion for him to swallow the cereal. "Ohhh... my stomach isn't going to like me," he said, sitting down in one of the two chairs they owned. Amata chewed her food in silence.

"I think I'm going to head up to the saloon, maybe see if Moriarty is open for talking. I need to talk to him about my father," he said. She paused in her eating.

"And if not?"

"Moira's got some work lined up for us. Seeing as how we got the sanitizer and the purifier, I think she's a good source of work. We'll need all the caps we can get, probably."

"I think we should take it easy for a while, Lloyd," she said, giving him pause. "We don't need to go out every day and get ourselves killed."

He was silent for a moment as he thought of something. "I'd like to teach you how to shoot," he changed the subject. "We can go just outside of town, find a nice rock or something. The broad side of a barn, maybe."

Amata continued, however, "That's not my point, Lloyd. I meant we don't have to venture out into the wastes every day, away from Megaton. It's dangerous out there. There are things out there that we haven't seen, and, quite frankly, we could do without seeing." She reached into the box and pulled out another handful and chewed silently.

Lloyd nodded. "I understand, Amata, I really do. But my father's out there, and I have to find him."

Amata thought about protesting once more, but decided against it. Lloyd stood up and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Things will get better, Amata, I promise." He turned and left, headed for the saloon.

In that moment, Amata wished more than anything that she believed him.

* * *

On his way out, Lloyd was suddenly ambushed and shouted at. Confessor Cromwell, with three settlers behind him, were pointing at him and chanting the word "Deactivator! Deactivator! Deactivator!"

Lloyd was surprised, and held his hands up. "Um..." he spoke, trying to figure out what was going on. Cromwell stepped forward, looking very pale and slightly green.

"Deactivator!" he cried. "I label you the deactivator of His will! You have denied the growth of Atom, the spread of his glow!"

"Oh for the love of..." Lloyd muttered. 'Do I really have to deal with this right now?' he thought.

"You have prevented the growth of Atom, the chance for one to be divided in his Glow!"

"All I did was make it so that nobody in this town was at danger from the active bomb!" Lloyd said, almost shouting but keeping his cool. He didn't need to deal with this fanatic at this point in time.

"The waters that once held his Glow, the ones around the vessel, now run purged of his essence! They are without Him!" he cried.

Lloyd could hardly believe this crock. "Then crack open the damn bomb and drink up the green goo! That's some 'Glow' for you right there!" Lloyd said, pushing through them. He had to get to the saloon. Cromwell cried after him.

"The Glowing Ones will burn out your eyes!" he cried, drawing gasps from the others. Lloyd turned back to him, seeing him standing apart from the others.

"The what?" he asked.

Cromwell threw his arms into the air, looking to the heavens.

"Those blessed by His Glow the most become avatars of His will! Warriors of His way! The ultimate form of evolution and greatness! The Glowing Ones! They burn bright with his power, for they are His true, blessed children! And they will burn the eyes from your very skull!" he cried.

Suddenly, Maya came running up a nearby ramp and smacked Cromwell in the back of the head, telling him to stop conjuring this nonsense. They began to argue on the spot about Lloyd's apparent desecration of the holy bomb.

"Stop this at once!" Maya commanded her husband. "This won't help the cause!"

"Atom deserves retribution, and the curse of the Glowing Ones has been bestowed! There is no greater punishment," Cromwell said.

"I'll go ahead and walk away now," Lloyd called out, causing both of them to turn to him. As Lloyd turned, Cromwell cried out his closing words.

"You can run on for a long time, but sooner or later, Atom will strike you down!" he cried.

'Run on this...' Lloyd thought about shouting back. He kept silent.

He entered the saloon. It was still as dim as he had remembered it, back when he first entered and met Gob, Nova and Burke. Gob noticed him and smiled, his cracked lips curling into a smile.

"Hey, if it isn't my favorite smoothskin," he greeted.

Lloyd smiled, and noticed that the radio was still on and still blaring static. Occasionally, a word or two of some song got through the static, but it was rare.

"Moriarty in?" Lloyd asked.

"Who the hell's askin', eh?" someone spoke with a sharp accent. Lloyd looked over and saw a man with defining gray hair, combed back, in addition to a thick goatee. He wore a black, leather vest over a white shirt. His eyes were a steel grey, and they seemed to see right through Lloyd.

"I am," Lloyd said, turning to face him. "Moriarty, I presume?"

"Colin. Colin Moriarty, at yer service," he said, holding out his hand. Lloyd shook it. "Welcome to my saloon, kid. My saloon, my home, my little slice 'o heaven in this here backwards little berg. If you've got the caps, I've got yer pleasure. Please, sit down and make yerself comfortable. Yer troubles are a thing 'o the past."

"He's not new, Colin. He's the one that got Burke arrested," Nova said, smoking a cigarette, as always.

"Oh really now?" Colin said, looking Lloyd up and down. "This here little boy is the one what got Burke taken down, eh? Well, good for ya." He clapped Lloyd on the shoulder. "More power to ya, eh?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you, Moriarty." Lloyd cleared his throat. "I'm looking for my father, a middle-aged guy named James Freeman. I've heard he passed through here some time ago."

Colin's eyes widened with sudden recognition, which surprised and confused Lloyd a bit.

"My god... it's you! The little baby boy, all grown up..." he said, then laughed a bit. "Persistent little bastard, ain't ya? Then an now, it would seem. Oh, how the years fly by… It's been a long time, kid."

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met before..." Lloyd said.

"Oh, yer daddy passed through here, all right. Here and gone. Got what he came for and left. I'm assumin' ye'll do the same, correct?" Almost as if to drive the point home, he continued, adding, "Just like when you were a little baby boy, crying yer eyes out in the upper floors of this very building." Gob, Nova and everyone else in the saloon grew silent, intent on listening. Gob turned off the crackling radio.

"What?" Lloyd was confused. "I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. My father and I were born in Vault 101..."

Moriarty laughed heartily, making Lloyd feel rather foolish with everyone watching. "Is that, is that, what your father told ya? That he was born in that hole? That ye were born in there as well?" He clutched his sides, and, to Lloyd's ultimate surprise, wiped a tear from his eye. He found it that hilarious. "Oh," he said, growing contemplative, "the lies we tell to those we love..."

Everyone was quiet, save for Moriarty. Lloyd felt himself grow frustrated.

"Just what are you playing at, Moriarty?" he demanded to know.

"Yer father brought ye to Vault 101 not long after ya were born. To keep ya safe ye see. I remember it well; ye stayed in my saloon after all." He crossed his arms and scratched his beard. "It's true. Yer father, his Brotherhood 'o Steel friend, and you, the sucklin' babe with nary a tit to suckle. Sorry about yer mom, truly."

"The hell are you talking about!?" Lloyd nearly shouted. Everyone in the saloon was leaning forward now, fully invested and interested in the conversation. Jericho downed a bottle of whiskey as he listened in. In a darkened corner, a young, blonde wastelander named Lucy West was similarly listening intently. Billy Creel, a regular at the saloon, watched and listened with equal investment.

"Ah, well, life goes on, eh? Daddy lied. Life's full 'o little disappointments. And now, here ya are, wonderin' where he's gone to." Moriarty chuckled to himself once more. "Delightful, really. A thing 'o beauty. Poetic, even."

'No... it can't be...' he thought. "My father told me we were born in Vault 101," Lloyd said. "He wouldn't have lied about it. I know it." Lloyd's mind was reeling. What would Moriarty gain by lying to him? This couldn't be the truth. It couldn't be.

"Ahh, I see... Ya know, I heard about the brainwashin' that goes on down there. From some other fella, escaped about, oh, five years back."

"Bullshit!" Lloyd accused. "The vault hasn't been opened in years!"

Moriarty raised his hands up, and spoke in a mocking voice. "All hail the Overseer! We're born in the vault, we die in the vault! And all that other assorted lunacy." Before Lloyd could respond, he continued. "Kid, you've got better programmin' than our own Deputy Weld. Better wise up. Wouldn't want anyone... takin' advantage of ya, hmm?"

Lloyd was stunned. "This... No..." He shook his head, trying to clear it. "Look, I just need to find my father. Please, just tell me where he is."

Moriarty dropped his arms to his sides, standing tall and strong. "Ye seem like a nice kid, so I'm goin' to be straight with ya. Yer dad was here, and now he's not. And yes, I know where he went. Had a little chat wid'im. But what yer askin' me for is information, and information is a commodity, as far as I'm concerned."

"Name your price..." Lloyd muttered.

"Let's say... Several hunnerd caps, and dear old daddy's location is all yours. Very Reasonable." Moriarty grinned while he spoke.

Lloyd sighed in frustration, covering his face with his hand. "Goddamnit, I don't have that much money. I... I don't have that much money."

"Alright then kid, lemme help ye out. Ya know, for old time's sake and all," he said, clapping Lloyd on the shoulder once more. Lloyd nearly winced from the contact of this slime ball. "If ya don't have the caps to pay for the information, maybe ye can do me a little favor."

Lloyd scowled. "You mean your dirty work, right?"

Despite Lloyd's look of disdain, Moriarty grinned even more. "Who said anything about dirty work, eh? Ye need some caps and I'm just givin' ya a way to get them, it's just business."

Lloyd felt like spitting on the man's shoes. He hated dealing with this guy already. "Whaddaya want, Moriarty," he said, "because I don't have all day."

Colin laughed. "Alright. There's this junkie bitch named Silver who burrowed a buncha caps from me. Claimed she could start funneling jet and psycho to me at a good price. Problem is she ran off with the caps and set herself up in Springvale so she could inject herself into a stupor. Get those caps offa her and they're yours. Yours to pay me with anyway," he laughed.

Lloyd turned to leave. As he neared the door, he spoke. "I'll see what I can do, Moriarty."

"Little bit of caps for so much information. Think about it," Colin called out.

Lloyd shut the door behind him, leaving the saloon full of patrons who had just seen one of the most interesting gossip topics in a long while. Lloyd didn't see it the same way.

'My father... I wasn't born in Vault 101...'

His entire life his father had lied to him. Moriarty had no reason to lie, aside from being scum, but scum only lie when they have something to gain. Moriarty had nothing to gain telling Lloyd the truth of his infancy, save perhaps his own amusement.

'I wasn't born in Vault 101...'

His father had warned him of the surface. Had warned him of the dangers. Because he really did know about them, because he had seen them himself. Because he was born there, on the surface, in the wasteland.

And so was Lloyd.

'I wasn't born in Vault 101...'

He found breathing difficult. He walked through Megaton in almost a trance, nearly unaware of his surroundings. He bumped into someone he didn't recognize. He saw his shack up ahead. Amata nearly shouted in surprise when Lloyd burst through the door. She had been in the kitchen, filling up empty bottles she had found with water from the sink, to reuse them. The water was a little cloudy, but it was still water. As Lloyd stumbled in and fell to his knees, holding himself up with his hands, she dropped the bottle in the sink and ran to him. He was on the verge of crying heavily, but was holding it at bay.

She knelt before him and gently lifted his head to stare into his green eyes, which had clear lines of tears streaming from them. His teeth were gritted, and his breathing was labored.

"What is it?" she asked, deeply concerned for him. "Lloyd, tell me what's wrong..." She used her thumb to wipe away some of his tears.

"I... I..." he choked on his words. "It's all a lie..." he said, looking back to the floor, "all one, big, goddamned lie!" He slammed his hands on the ground in anger. "All of it! My father lied to me! About everything! Every-fucking-thing I've ever known or been told is just lies!"

She wasn't sure what he was talking about, but she knew something had happened to him. She hugged him, soothing his hair with one hand. "Tell me what happened, Lloyd... Please, tell me..." What could have caused this to happen to Lloyd? He was always emotional and passionate, but it would have taken something powerful to drive him to this condition.

He returned her embrace and sobbed. "Lloyd, talk to me..." she pleaded.

"Oh god, I… I don't know what I… I…" he rambled a bit.

Amata pulled back to look at him. "Lloyd..."

"I wasn't born in Vault 101."

Amata's shock was clear.

"What? Who told you that? Of course you were," she said. He shook his head.

"I, I heard it from Moriarty, Amata. When… I was a baby, my father came here with me and somebody else and stayed in the saloon," he explained. Amata couldn't believe it. "I was a baby... and my father, he took me to Vault 101 to raise me away from the wasteland."

"Lloyd... this can't be true. He's lying," she told him. And she believed it. It had to be a lie. Lloyd was born in the vault.

"No, I wasn't!" Lloyd shouted, looking up at her. "My father lied to me my entire life, Amata! The only truth I've ever gotten about my birth, about my mother, came from a fucking scumbag who runs a saloon!"

Amata was speechless. All she could do was shake her head in disbelief.

Lloyd continued. "I was born out here, Amata, in the wasteland. So was my father, I know it. All my life I've known it, felt like I didn't belong in the vault, wanted to know what's outside... because that's my birthplace, Amata! That's my home!" He wasn't crying anymore. He had regained his composure. "My father lied to me and abandoned me. I need to find this man and I better get some goddamn answers," he spoke, standing up and moving upstairs. Amata moved to follow him.

"Lloyd, what are you doing?!" she asked, seeing him emerge from their bedroom her her sword in hand.

"Finding my father," he said, moving to go out that door. Amata caught his arm.

"Lloyd, stop!" she said, holding him back. He struggled, but stopped and looked at her.

"Don't stop me from getting what I need to know out of Moriarty. Don't stop me!" he shouted.

Amata let go. "Is that a warning?" she asked. Lloyd paused, losing his bluster. She looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "Lloyd... I don't know if you were born out here or not... but I do know that you don't have to act like a… like a raider or something just because you were."

Lloyd looked to the ground, and dropped the sword. "I..." he began, having a hard time finding words. "I don't know what this is anymore... all of it... I thought I knew where I was, where I had come from, why I'm here, but now…"

She went to him and hugged him once more. "Lloyd, I'm here for you. Even if you... weren't born in Vault 101... I'm here for you," she said. "I promised to stop you from becoming a monster, and I will." To drive the point home, she repeated herself once more. "I'm here for you."

Lloyd nodded. "I know... I'm okay..." he said, taking deep, slow breaths. After a moment, he was calm again.

"Lloyd..." she spoke quietly, "you know I love you, right?" She wanted to make sure he knew she was going to help him.

Though he was still shaken up, he smiled. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me in Vault 101, Amata."

They shared a kiss. When they broke apart, she spoke to him in a calm, understanding tone. "Lloyd, we're going to learn what we need to learn from Moriarty. Did he tell you where to find your father?"

Lloyd said, "No. He wants me to find a former girl of his, over in Springvale. She's got caps he wants, and I'm supposed to get them, somehow."

Amata was silent for a moment. "We aren't, are we?" she asked. Lloyd shook his head.

"I'm not going to lower myself by doing his dirty work," he said. "I know for a fact that he has a terminal in the back of the saloon with all the information I'll need on it. I need to get to that terminal and hack it."

She nodded. "Okay, Lloyd. That's a much better alternative, right?" she said, leaning down and picking up the sword.

"Yeah, it is." He took another steadying breath. "I'm sorry, Ama-" He was halfway through apologizing when Amata silenced him with a kiss.

"Don't even mention it, Lloyd. And I've already got a plan."

* * *

They waited until dark, staying mostly out of the way from everyone in the town, especially Lloyd, who wanted to avoid the questions and rumors flying about him since his public conversation with Moriarty.

During the time between then and night, however, Lloyd spent some time teaching Amata what he knew about handling guns. They went outside of Megaton, not too far away, to practice. They didn't waste too much ammunition. Lloyd didn't want to spend too many of their caps on more ammo. While outside, shooting at rocks, they learned how to effectively use the laser pistols they had acquired at the Super-Duper Mart, as they felt they had energy cells to spare.

Another caravan had made its way to Megaton. Billy Creel introduced the two of them to Crazy Wolfgang, a rather odd merchant who sold, by his own words, "Garbage." They found nothing useful; quite literally the man sold junk, scrap and seemingly useless salvage, so they let the strange man sell what he had to sell to the people of Megaton. They walked east a bit, somewhat near Springvale to shoot.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter anything dangerous. The proximity to Megaton may have helped, or the noises their guns made did. For Lloyd, their day together in the wasteland was more of a distraction than anything else. It kept his mind from thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him once more

It wasn't until dark that they returned to put Amata's plan into action. Over the past couple days, she had noticed a locked back entrance to Moriarty's saloon. Working with Lloyd, they figured that right behind that locked door must be the terminal that held the location of Lloyd's father.

The plan itself was relatively simple; simply wait for the majority of Megaton to fall asleep and then have Amata pick the lock on the door. Lloyd goes in, hacks the terminal, gets the information on his Pip-Boy and gets out. Simple, as far as plans go. They just needed to be a little patient.

After successfully attacking the lock with her bobby pins, she took a look inside. Sure enough, there was the terminal. Its screen glowed a bright green color.

She turned back, giving him a nod. "Go, Lloyd!" she whispered, urging him on. Lloyd crouched low and snuck inside and looked around for Colin.

'No sign of Moriarty...' he thought. He snuck up to the computer and activated it, being careful not to set off any alarms, if they existed. Lloyd could imagine Moriarty being a rather cautious man.

Lloyd wasn't sure he liked this, breaking into someone's property and hacking into their most prized possession. 'I can deal with the bad karma later,' he reassured himself and proceeded. With a wire, he connected his Pip-Boy to Moriarty's computer and began to run the decoding program to find the password. It didn't take too long to crack it.

There was a lot of information on this terminal, too many files for Lloyd to read right now. Like before, in the Overseer's office, he began to download all the files onto his Pip-Boy for later viewing. His father's location was in here, he just knew it.

As the download continued, he became worried that Moriarty might walk in at any moment. It was becoming tense for him, and every small noise nearly caused him to jump.

The download finished a moment later, relieving the paranoid hacker. He disconnected the wire and logged off, shutting down the terminal to eliminate any evidence that he was here. He slipped out the back, and found Amata waiting not too far away, looking as inconspicuous as possible. She looked at him as he left the building, closing the door behind him.

"Did you get what you needed?" she asked. He nodded, holding up his Pip-Boy.

"It's all on here," he answered. "Let's get back home."

* * *

"You sure he's alive?" one of the mercenaries asked his group leader.

"He's alive, alright. Held captive in the town." The merc leader struck up a match and lit the cigarette hanging from his lips.

"We gotta get him out, right?" one of the other mercs asked.

"We go in, bust him out, get him back to Tenpenny Tower, _alive,_ and get paid a shitload of caps," the leader told him. "That's the objective, keeping him alive. I don't need one of you fuckers screwing this up, because I will personally sink two in each of your tenspots, got that?" He held up a pistol to elaborate on his threat.

The men knew he would, too. He was ruthless by reputation; they knew he would do anything to get the job done and done right.

"What about the people in the town?" another merc asked.

The leader looked at him. "The fuck's that supposed to mean? You queasy over killing civilians?"

"No, no! What I meant was, can we shoot 'em?"

The leader smirked. In his hands, he twirled a special knife he wielded, which he had affectionately named 'Occam's Razor.' He looked at the man who had asked. "Well kid, there's a certain beauty about working with Talon Company. It has its own... rewards."

* * *

"Anything yet?" Amata asked, sitting in a chair and drinking some water. She grimly noticed that they were running low on purified water, and even their water purifier they had gotten from Moira didn't completely eliminate the radiation from the liquid. Even though she had argued with Lloyd against going into the wasteland again so soon, she saw the benefits of scavenging in it. The only problem was she also saw the consequences, namely the decapitated bodies at the Super-Duper Mart. The last thing she wanted was to end up a dismembered corpse hanging from chains, serving no the purpose than cruel entertainment, a warning or target practice. Or the man who had fallen to the radscorpion.

Lloyd didn't respond right away, so immersed was he in searching through the new files on his Pip-Boy. They were all labeled something or other, usually by name. Then, he found it.

"James Freeman comma Vault 101," he read aloud. Amata stood up. He looked to her. "This is it... the proof that I either am or am not a wastelander." She put her hand on his shoulder, a silent reminder of her promise of being there for him. He took a steadying breath and opened the file, and began to read it.

"What's it say?" she asked.

Lloyd finished reading the entry and answered.

"Galaxy News Radio."

"...What?" she asked. Lloyd turned his Pip-Boy radio on and tuned into a specific frequency, one he had gotten from Gob in the saloon. Static blared out, occasionally clearing up a bit so that one or two words could be heard.

"The entry says my dad asked Colin where he could go to figure out what's been happening in the wasteland since he entered the vault with me." Lloyd paused for a moment, considering that everything Moriarty had told him was true. "He's at the Galaxy News Radio building in Washington D.C., or headed there right now."

Amata nodded in understanding. "You okay?" He sighed and nodded as well.

"I'm alright. I think the truth of it just, just hit me really hard earlier today. I... I'm gonna try not to let it happen again," he said.

"Everyone needs to just let out their feelings sometimes, Lloyd. Even you."

Taking another deep breath, he said, "Yeah, I know. So... now I guess we go to D.C. and try to find him, huh?"

Amata looked unsure. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

Lloyd looked at her. "What? Why?" he asked.

She detected the animosity in his voice. "Don't be angry, Lloyd. I know finding your father means a lot to you."

"I just meant... I just want to understand why you think it's a bad idea," he clarified.

"Well, you know I talked with some of the people around town, right? They told me about the ruins of D.C., how it's almost completely destroyed. Collapsed buildings, tunnels and massive wreckage... it's probably a lot worse than either of us can imagine."

"We'll be careful, then. We can deal with ruins."

"But it's crawling with mutants," she said.

"We've dealt with mutants. We can deal with more," he said, reassuring her.

"But not super mutants, Lloyd."

"Super mutants?" To Lloyd, the name sounded ridiculous. "They sound like a child's attempt at naming big, ugly monsters."

"This isn't a joke, Lloyd!" Amata stomped her foot on the ground, and Lloyd's smile vanished. "They're heavily mutated humans! They're big, over eight feet tall I heard, with green skin from all the radiation!"

"Big green men?" Lloyd said. Again, he couldn't suppress a smile. "Sounds really bad."

She was getting fed up with him not taking the wasteland seriously. "They also capture wastelanders and carry them off to god-knows-where! They murder and kill everyone in their way, and the ruins of D.C. are fucking crawling with them!" she cried. "Smile about that!"

She stormed upstairs, pushing past him. Lloyd chased after her, but she slammed the door to their bedroom in his face.

After trying to open the door and finding that she was holding it shut, he sighed and leaned against it. "Okay, Amata. I'm sorry. Look, I know you're frightened of what the wasteland has to offer. I... I am too, when I get down to it. I don't want to go out there. And these... super mutants... they sound bad, they really do. There's a lot to the wasteland we haven't seen yet..."

He waited for a response, but none came.

"...But we have to go out and experience it ourselves, Amata. We can hear as much as we like from other people, but we need to go to D.C. and find my father. Please... please just open the door."

After a moment, the door opened. Amata stood there with small tears forming in her eyes. "I don't like it out there, Lloyd, I really, really don't. I just want you to know that."

He understood. "You don't have to go with me, if you don't want to. You can stay here..."

Shaking her head, she cut him off, saying, "We don't need to go over this again, Lloyd. Out here, I need you and you need me. It won't do us any good to keep saying it over and over again." She walked over and hugged him. "It's already perfect the way it is."

"So it's a codependent relationship then? My medical and psychological work has shown those to be rather unhealthy for the two involved," he joked.

"I don't think it's that serious yet," Amata smiled, despite her vanishing distress.

"Yet?" Lloyd pointed out. They shared a laugh, which turned into a supportive hug.

"We need to go to D.C.," he reminded. "But I won't go if you don't want to go."

"That's a lie, Lloyd. You're not very good at lying. We're going to go... but we shouldn't go alone."

"What do you mean?" Lloyd leaned back to look at her.

"We need to find someone who can take us to Galaxy News Radio. If it's in D.C., and the entire city is destroyed, it can be anywhere, right? It won't do us any good to try searching every rock in the city until we find where your father went. We need... a guide."

Lloyd silently thought for a moment. "How'd I not think of that?" he said, mostly to himself.

Amata smiled. "Because you're dumb and I'm not."

"Teasing isn't very nice, Miss Almodovar..."

She smiled and stepped out of the embrace and back into the room, pulling down the zipper on her jumpsuit. "Well, what are you waiting for? It's late. The bed will get cold with only one person in it."

He smiled and closed the door behind him. They'd see about a guide in the morning.

Lloyd paused after he had shut the door. He looked at Amata getting ready for bed, simply taking in the sight of her for a moment. She caught his gaze. "Lloyd?"

Silently, he walked over and knelt beside her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I love you, Amata. There's nothing I want more than to keep you safe. That's what frightens me about going out there. I'm conflicted, I admit. I want to find my father and I want you to be safe."

She moved to face him fully. "Lloyd, we'll keep each other safe." She hugged him, burying her face in his neck.

He closed his eyes and gently stroked her hair. "I know… I know…"

He decided he had said enough. Internally, he resolved to pay more attention to Amata's feelings. He wanted to make sure they would get through this together, no matter what.

He knew that losing her would destroy him.

* * *

"Well you've been out there, haven't you, Billy?" Lloyd asked. Billy nodded his head.

"Yes, and I'm tellin' ya that I ain't goin' back out there any time soon, I'm sorry ta say," Billy said, downing a beer. Lloyd run his hands through his brown hair, frustration mounting. Gob was wiping the bar, and continued to do so as he spoke.

"I'd keep your voice down, kid, unless you want Moriarty to come out from his room again. You didn't do that thing for him, didya?" the ghoul asked.

Lloyd shook his head and then turned back to Billy. "All I'm saying, Billy, is that you could take me to Galaxy News Radio and then take me back once I find my father."

Billy wiped his lips and turned his barstool to face the persistent Lloyd. "Now Lloyd, I like ya. I can't say that 'bout a whole mess'a people in this here town. So I'll tell ya, plain and straight like, that I ain't goin' back out inta the wastes."

"Billy, I can pay if that's what this is about," Lloyd said.

"That ain't it by a goddamn mile," Billy said, standing up. He looked at Lloyd and stared him down with his one working eye. "Now I gotta little girl, Lloyd. I take care of her. I made a promise ta myself a long time ago that I'd never go back out inta the wastes so long as I had Maggie ta take care of. Maybe someday, Lloyd, ya just might find out what that feeling's like too."

Billy set a few caps on the table and walked out.

Lloyd sighed and then looked at Gob. "Hey Gob, what's the deal with Galaxy News Radio anyway? Why would my father go there?"

Gob continued to wipe the bar, but he spoke in his raspy voice. "The radio DJ, Three Dog, is a pretty neat guy. One of a kind, I think. He runs the station from the building in D.C. and plays good music. Before whatever happened to the signal, ya know," he said, pointing back at the radio which was still blaring out static. "Anyway, this guy, Three Dog, he's a really neat guy. He's fun to listen to. A lotta people in the wastes tune in to what he's got to say. He talks about all the stuff that goes on in the Capital Wasteland, see, and he's always talking about fighting the good fight."

That last part caught Lloyd's ears. "What's that? The good fight, I mean."

"Oh, it's something... like, um..." Gob scratched his scabby head. "I think it's just doing good things for the wasteland. Like fighting super mutants and raiders and stuff. You know, just being a good guy. Kinda like you, kid!"

"Heh, yeah, sure..." Lloyd said, leaning over the bar, burying his face in his hands.

Gob wished he could help the kid. Gob himself came from Underworld, located in the former Museum of Natural History in the ruins of the capital city. But Gob had never been to Galaxy News Radio, though he wanted to go there someday. Thus, he couldn't guide the vault dwellers to the building. Plus, with Moriarty technically owning him, he couldn't leave. Gob was depressed by this, but he tried to not let it get to him. He knew he'd outlive Moriarty someday, and then he would be free. Ghouls live much longer than normal humans. He hoped the 'outliving Moriarty' part of his plan would come sooner rather than later.

Lloyd looked up when he noticed someone sitting next to him at the bar. It was Nova, the prostitute in Moriarty's employ. She took a drag on her cigarette. Lloyd was beginning to notice that she always had one.

"That's not very healthy for you," Lloyd said.

"Neither's banging a buncha guys every week, kid," she said, inhaling the nicotine. "We all do unhealthy things. Take you, for example, you want to go to D.C., and you're judging me for smoking." She smiled. "You're pretty stupid, kid."

"I don't need to sit here and take insults from a prostitute," Lloyd said, standing up. "I'm above it."

"I know who can take you, kid."

That gave Lloyd pause. "Who?"

She smiled. "He comes in here pretty often, orders up a big tab of drinks, passes out and then everybody drags him home. He's a sad guy, when you get down to it. Ex-raider like him misses it out there in the wastes. He could write a novel about how much he'd like to get back to doing what he does best. If he knew how to write or read."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "You don't mean..."

She laughed, flicking her now-dead cigarette aside. "You want Jericho, kid. He's been all over the ruins in his life, and you better believe that he can take you there. Hell of a shot too. Good luck." With that, she pushed past Lloyd and walked upstairs.

Lloyd's mind was reeling with the new information. 'Jericho...'

As Lloyd turned to leave, someone sitting not too far away felt like jumping up and getting his attention. She was shy, unfortunately, and Lloyd simply left the saloon, and her, behind him before she could say a word. Lucy sighed, rubbing the paper note she had hidden beneath the table she sat at. She really would've liked to have spoken with Lloyd.

* * *

While Lloyd had gone to the saloon to find Billy, Amata was decided to speak with Moira at Craterside Supply over their next job. "Well!" Moira said, cheery as always, "I've got just the thing. There's a place northeast of here called Minefield. It's a ghost town, by all accounts. But it's apparently filled with landmines!"

Amata's eyes widened in surprise. "Landmines?"

Moira nodded. "Landmines. They're of a kind that I haven't seen too much before. Usually people always just make their own out of some explosives and whatever's lying around as a casing, but the ones in Minefield are military issued, highly lethal explosives. I'd like one to study!"

"Um... That sounds dangerous..." Amata said.

"Oh, no, it's easy! These old ones have a bright, flashy button right in the middle, you see. Get close enough and be fast enough, and you can press it, instantly disarming it!" Moira beamed. Amata was greatly unsure of this.

"Who put them there?" Amata asked.

"That'd be nice to find out. Say," she said, rubbing her chin, "if you could get to the center of the town, by all accounts there's a playground there you see, you could probably learn a lot about the place. I think it should be on your handy-dandy wrist thingy there, on the map."

Amata pulled up the map on her Pip-Boy. Sure enough, Moira had marked the location of the town in her map data.

"We'll check it out, Moira. We'll see you when we get back," she said, and turned to leave.

As usual, Moira called out, "Try not to die!"

As Amata exited Craterside Supply, Lloyd suddenly walked past her, muttering only the smallest of greetings. "Hey, Lloyd," she called after him, intent on telling him what Moira wanted them to do.

"Sorry, hold that thought please," he said, walking away. Confused, she ran up behind h

im.

"What is it Lloyd? Something wrong?" she asked.

"Just hold on a minute, I'm trying to get into a certain mindset," he told her, not looking back.

Her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Just trust me."

He walked into the center of the town, not too far away from the now-disabled bomb. He looked to the Brass Lantern, where the man he sought was sitting. He wore leather armor, had an eye patch over one eye and his hair was closely shaven. His skin was a dark tan, and weathered with experience. He was smoking a cigarette while downing some squirrel stew.

"Jericho," he called out. Amata stopped in her tracks, shocked by Lloyd's desire to speak with the intimidating raider. Why did he want to?

Jericho looked back in surprise. When he saw Lloyd, his look soured.

"The fuck do you want, kid?" he sneered.

Lloyd cleared his throat. "I want you to take me to D.C. so I can get to Galaxy News Radio." Roughly ten people in earshot stopped doing what they were doing to watch the sudden events. For a moment, all was silent and still. Jenny, Billy, and looking down from above, Walter, eagerly awaited to see Jericho's response.

Jericho, still seated on a stool, broke out into laughter. He laughed heartily, a rather unusual sight, given the nature of his character.

"You, you, you," he said, trying to stifle his laughter, "you want me, me! To take your prim and proper asses all the way to D.C.? And for what?" He laughed again.

Lloyd didn't back down. "If you refuse, you're a coward."

Jericho stopped laughing. "Fuck did you say?" He stood up. Lloyd was well aware of a dangerous assault rifle strapped to his back, well within the former raider's quick reach.

Lloyd smirked, his eyebrows narrow and his stare unblinking. "I know you, Jericho. I know why you get drunk and thrown out of the Brass Lantern every night. I know why you mope around and act like an asshole to everybody."

Jericho scoffed. "Shut the fuck up, kid. You don't know me." He pointed to his chest. "This guy, right here? He's a fucking mystery to you."

"You don't like it here, do you Jericho? Megaton?" Lloyd asked.

Jericho paused for a moment. "Fuck does that matter? Doesn't have a goddamn thing to do with anything."

"You don't like any place like this. You like it out there," Lloyd pointed to the top of the city walls as he spoke, "in the wasteland. It's where you were born Jericho, it's where you belong. It's the only place you feel like you actually matter."

Amata was growing concerned. What was Lloyd doing here? He wasn't acting like himself. He was being accusatory, as if calling Jericho's manhood into question. Is this what he meant by a certain mindset? A kind of bravado to goad the raider? She hoped Jericho wouldn't look up at her. She wasn't as good at hiding her emotions as Lloyd, and she might blow his cover. But she couldn't turn away; she needed to see what was going to happen.

Jericho stormed up to Lloyd. Though he was older, Lloyd was fairly tall and could look him right in the eyes. Or rather, eye.

"What the fuck are you getting at, kid? So what if I get drunk and hate this oversized, rusted shithole. It's a living. I don't need smart-assed little kids telling me to clean my act up."

"It's not your living, and I'm not telling you that you have to stop." Lloyd smirked. "I could give your old life back to you, Jericho. You can go back out there with a group, just like when you ran with the raiders."

Jericho paused, his mouth slightly agape. Lloyd continued.

"You know you want to get back out there, Jericho. So do I. I killed a group of raiders two days ago in the wastes." Lloyd didn't like the fact he was bragging about it, but he knew what was necessary. Though he really did not like the man, Lloyd needed Jericho. And to get him on his side, he would need to win him over with a really good offer. "You could join me, Jericho. I help you, you help me. I get what I want, you get what you want."

Jericho stepped back a couple paces and appeared to be deep in thought. Lloyd internally crossed his fingers, and hoped Jericho wouldn't notice his forming sweat.

The smallest hint of a smile formed on the old raider's face. "Alright kid," Jericho said. Lloyd's hope rose. "I'll join up with you. But you better fucking deliver on your end of the bargain."

Lloyd nodded. "There'll be plenty of action out there, Jericho. More than enough for all of us."

"I'll just need a thousand caps for supplies, and I'll be ready to go."

Somewhere, in Lloyd's mind, a train of thought crashed.

"...What?" Lloyd said, rather dumbly. "I... I don't have that money, Jericho..."

The cocky attitude on Jericho's face was quickly dropped. "Then what the fuck didja get my hopes up for? Fuckin' hell kid, for a minute I actually fucking believed you. I actually fucking believed you," he said, turning to leave.

Lloyd's plan had failed. He hadn't anticipated this. He had to react quickly.

"Jericho!" he shouted, demanding the man's attention. Jericho turned around. "I can get you that money."

"I need that money for ammo, food and other shit, kid. There's no way I'm going back out there unless I'm prepared." Jericho struck up a new cigarette. After taking a puff, he spoke again. "So, you get me the money, and I'll take you to D.C., cause without it, out of the fucking question."

With that, the former raider went back to the Brass Lantern and resumed sitting.

Lloyd could finally breathe easy. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and found it to be Amata's.

"Lloyd..." she started, "...I don't know if this is a good idea."

Lloyd nodded. "I understand. But I don't see any other options. Billy won't go on account of Maggie, Gob can't go on account of Moriarty, and Jericho... he's the only one with the experience and knowledge we need, all rolled into one. And he's willing to do it... for the right price, that is."

"How can you be sure he won't... kill us?" Amata said. Lloyd looked at her in surprise.

"What?"

She closed her eyes to concentrate on the facts in her head. "He's a raider, Lloyd... he got old, got left behind by his old raider buddies, came here because he had nothing else to do, and the only reason he hasn't killed everyone here is because he'd be attacking all alone. Lucas and the citizens would take him down in a second." She looked up at him. "Out there, in no man's land... there's nothing to stop him from... you know."

Lloyd hadn't considered any of that. He put his hands on her shoulders to calm her. "That's not going to happen."

"How do you know?" she asked. "It can't be a judge of good character on your part."

Lloyd chuckled. "I understand your worry, Amata. But think about it: if he killed us, he'd be all alone again. He'd come back here, and then he would fall back into the routine he's grown to hate." He turned back to look at Jericho, who was still eating. "He won't kill us, Amata. He won't kill us because we're his best shot at living life the way he wants to live it."

Amata was silent. Even though she didn't like it, in a way he was right. To her relief, she knew that Lloyd didn't like being right either.

"I got a job from Moira," Amata changed the topic. "We have to go to the middle of a ghost town full of landmines and see what's up with the place before be bring a landmine back.

Lloyd laughed at her brief summary of the rather ridiculous task. "What's it called? Minefield?"

She put her hands on her hips and fixed him with a knowing look. "I'd say you're amazingly right, but I know it's on your Pip-Boy map too and that's why you know," she said.

"Honest to god, I had forgotten." He hadn't, of course. He had casually browsed past the place on his map before, but paid it no heed at the time. "Completely guessed at the name."

"You're not too good at lying," she said, pulling him close. He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Everything will be alright, Amata. Trust me."

Jericho looked back and caught a glimpse of the two of them. He shook his head in disgust. 'Fucking kids...'

Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit young himself. Lloyd had made him an offer he would be stupid to refuse, a chance to live as he once had when he was younger. Lloyd would earn the money, provided he didn't get killed doing so. Jericho smirked as he thought to himself, 'I guess I should start writing up a grocery list.'

* * *

Lloyd and Amata soon strapped up, armoring their jumpsuits with the equipment Moira had given them. After slipping on the harnesses, belts and backpacks, they checked their guns briefly before leaving Megaton, heading north for Minefield.

Though their time of departure had nothing to do with the time of the attack, it was almost exactly one hour after they left when Megaton was assaulted. The time of the attack was strategic: there wasn't a caravan out front of the town, meaning that Billy wouldn't be able to warn the town in advance. The sniper that kept watch, Stockholm, wasn't at his post, which was extremely rare. They waited for him to leave to use the bathroom.

The mercenaries of Talon Company, wearing black combat armor and wielding powerful weapons, stormed the front gate of Megaton. They blasted Deputy Weld to pieces with an advanced laser rifle. The front gate was sealed, but a planted charge, detonated seconds later, created a gap wide enough for them.

In his cell, Burke stirred, hearing the noise from the explosion. He quickly readied himself.

Nobody in the town could react too quickly, and by the time word had spread, Talon Company was already breaking into the jail beneath Lucas' house and busting out Burke. One of their company carried a missile launcher, and shot it into the town square, the rocket screeching as it soared through the air, its explosion upon impact kicking up smoke and dust, serving as a good distraction.

Jericho, Lucas and some of the others, Stockholm included, fought against the mercenaries as best they could. Of the ten attacking mercs, three were killed. Efficiently, they evacuated Burke, with men providing covering fire for the men rushing him out. Talon Company was gone, running out into the wastes. With wounded to attend to, Lucas couldn't organize an attack party to follow them. And even if he did, the next engagement would still be on their terms, as they would watch for followers.

Lucas knew that Talon Company had won. Their fast, risky strategy had paid off. Burke had gotten away, and there was nothing he could do about it. Not now, anyway. After helping reorganize the injured, sending them off to Doc Church at the clinic, Lucas went home to write a letter to a group of people he knew. Though Lucas had taken up permanent residency in Megaton, he still carried some weight with the Regulators, stationed in the north. They would know what to do.

Lucas sighed in frustration. He didn't want to start a war between his old organization and Talon Company. But it seemed like there were no other options. Talon Company had to pay.

Wasteland justice was sometimes a complicated thing.

During the attack, five citizens of Megaton were killed. Four settlers were killed, all with no family. Save for the fifth, which was Leo Stahl, the brother of Jenny and Andy, owners of the Brass Lantern.

Andy Stahl felt guilt. He felt incredible, undeniable guilt. He had been in talks with Mr. Burke, before the man's arrest, about blowing up the town and moving the Brass Lantern to a more lucrative area on Burke's property, Tenpenny Tower. Though it would involve the murder of everyone in the town, he never wanted his brother or sister to be harmed. Had he gone through with Burke's offer, he would've moved his family out.

If Andy had just told Lucas about Burke, then maybe... maybe he wouldn't have to bury his brother. Jenny and Leo were the only family he had, and though he didn't get along with them the best, he knew that Leo deserved better. If Andy had spent more time with his brother, then maybe he could have helped Leo's drug addiction. Not too many people knew about Leo's double life as a junkie.

Jenny felt terrible, worse than Andy. She cried over Leo's freshly dug grave, weeping for their lost brother and all that he could have been. Though she wanted nothing more than those Talon Company mercenaries dead, she wasn't in a position to avenge their brother.

Andy, however, was. He knew where Burke was going. And he knew what he was going to do once he got his hands on him.

Wasteland justice was sometimes a simple thing.

* * *

Burke washed his face with a rag that one of the mercenaries had given him. After he had finished cleansing his face, he tossed the rag into the dirt. It would be about a day's walk back to Tenpenny Tower.

"Gentlemen, I must compliment your work," he spoke to them. "I'll be paying each of you double, in addition to the bonus you get from the losses your team suffered. After all, we're not going to give their share to their corpses." The mercenaries chuckled at his joke.

"What's the plan when we get back to the tower, boss?" the mercenary leader, a man named Jabsco, asked.

Burke laughed to himself as he smiled wickedly. "There're some wayward vault dwellers than need to be disposed of."

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	5. Taking a Turn for the Worse

Lloyd took a moment to adjust his goggles. They felt a little uncomfortable around his eyes. His head was a bit sweaty. The combat helmet was padded on the inside, but still a little hot. The sunlight, natural sunlight, was something neither Lloyd nor Amata had ever experienced for long periods. They had lived beneath the surface in the vault their entire lives, and never had they felt in more alien of an environment then when they were outside in the wastes, perhaps the exact opposite of the clean, controlled Vault 101.

The wastes were wild, untamed, teeming with life... dangerous life. Lloyd and Amata knew that all too well as they stood over the carcasses of their latest kills.

"What are these things?" Amata asked, poking one with the barrel of her pistol. Its hide was pink and leathery.

"They look like rats," Lloyd commented. And they did, just large ones, about the size of a pig, with a much uglier face. Each of them had large teeth in the front of their jaws, and no other teeth could be seen in their mouth. Their eyes were tiny, beady and black, and in the center of its rodent-like head were two nostrils. While it was alive, it made wheezing, squeaking noises as they attacked the pair in a group of three.

They were slow, clumsy animals. Lloyd was able to sight and kill two of them with his newly-acquired hunting rifle. Amata had killed the third with a few quick shots of her pistol.

"More like big, ugly, hairless moles," Amata said as she awkwardly reloaded. She still hadn't gotten the complete hang of it. Lloyd stood up and held some bullets she had dropped while taking them out, but hadn't noticed.

"It wouldn't do us any good to lose these," he said, putting them in her hands. She closed her palm over the bullets and Lloyd took her clenched fist into his hands. "These are important out here."

She nodded. "I know, I know... I'll be fine. Just gotta get the hang of it."

Lloyd nodded. He picked up his rifle and looked north, to the wide river that stood in their way. Beyond that river was Minefield, their destination.

"Up for a swim?" he asked.

"Not in particular," she answered as she stood by him and looked at the river.

"I thought you, for one, would love a bath." He smirked, and she lightly slapped his chest.

"There's a difference, smart-mouth. Bathes have soap."

Lloyd held up his hands in defeat. "Let's get to the edge of the water and see what our choices are."

They approached the water. Lloyd crouched down and held his Pip-Boy over the edge of it. It began to click softly, its Geiger counter ticking away, signifying radiation.

"Irradiated," he said grimly. "Prolonged exposure would be dangerous, possibly."

"Possibly?" she asked.

"I don't know a lot about radiation and how it affects the human body. In the vault, I had patients, but I never had any that had been exposed to radiation. Those were sent to my father." He thought for a moment. "I mean, I've seen Gob, but something tells me that swimming in this water won't turn us into ghouls."

"How can you be certain?"

"It's not that I can be certain, it's that I can't, really." He looked at the screen of his Pip-Boy. On the subject of the water, it read, "Danger Level: Low."

"I don't like the idea of it, Lloyd, swimming in irradiated water," she said, crossing her arms as she looked across the semi-wide river. It wasn't a long distance to the other side, perhaps at the most a swim about twenty seconds in length. She looked up the river, and sighed. She saw a massive, large concrete bridge that once ran across the river, but no longer. It was destroyed, with massive chunks of it having fallen off. "Of course the only bridge within sight is smashed to all hell..." she looked down the river then, and saw something that caught her eyes. "Lloyd, look at that," she said, pointing.

It was a pre-war power plant built across the river. It was broken and rundown, but the concrete foundation stretched all the way to the other side. Lloyd nodded when he saw it.

"Alright, looks like we can cross over there. Let's go," he said, strapping his rifle to his back. He took a moment to double-check his armored suit, securing all the straps and buckles. He noticed Amata pausing, apparently deep in thought. "Ready?"

She looked up, slightly startled. She nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry."

"Something up?" he asked.

"No, nothing. Let's go."

They crossed the river, avoiding the water thanks to the power station that reached the other side. They climbed broken and mostly bent chain-link fence, and stepped down onto dry land. Following their Pip-Boy's compass, they continued to head northeast. They traveled mostly in silence, the loudest noise among them was their footsteps.

The silence began to get to Lloyd. "It's, uh... nice out today." 'Man, that sounded stupid...'

"That a joke?" she asked.

"Well, I mean... it's not cold or anything. All things considered, the destruction, the radiation, the... emptiness of it all, I'm just saying that things could be worse," he said. Amata didn't respond. "Amata?"

"There's a few buildings up ahead," she replied. Lloyd had been looking at the ground, caught up in thought. He looked up and saw that she was correct. They were large, concrete buildings, each covered with scorch marks and holes.

"Minefield?" Lloyd asked.

"Don't know. We'll just have to go and see," she said.

They moved closer to the ruins. Out of caution, Lloyd took out his rifle. "See something?" Amata asked.

"Just got a feeling..."

Lloyd's instincts were correct. There was a pack of several molerats meandering around the middle of the road leading into the town. Lloyd crouched behind a car, and Amata followed his actions, crouching behind him.

"What do you think about that?" Lloyd asked. "More of those ugly rat things. If this is Minefield, we need to get in there and find the playground, right?"

"Think we can scare them away?" she asked. Lloyd thought for a moment, considering a few options.

"I still have some of those grenades from the Super-Duper Mart. They're in my pack. Take one out and throw it, maybe we can drive them off," he suggested. She zipped open Lloyd pack and dug around until she pulled out one of the fragmentation grenades.

"Got it. I just pull this thing and throw?" she asked. He nodded. She took a steadying breath, pulled the tab, stood up and threw the grenade in the midst of the molerats. She hid behind the car and covered her ears.

The explosion killed four of the rats, so closely grouped were they that the others that weren't killed were harmed greatly. They began squealing loudly and crawling around, moving away from the ruins and scampering to the west. Lloyd looked up and saw the smoking, smoldering corpses the grenade left behind.

"Hey, nice throw!" he said, laughing a little.

"Yeah..." Amata breathed. She had never thrown a grenade before. It was an exhilarating experience.

Lloyd looked over the car, down the road that led into the ruins proper. His smile faded as he saw movement then. People, hopping over cars and running down the road towards the source of the explosion they must have heard. Even from a distance, Lloyd knew what they were: raiders.

They were dressed in straps of leather, chains and their faces and bodies were tattooed heavily, both with twisting ink designs and metal piercings. Their heads had little hair, but those that did had it styled in spikes and rows, and dyed with various bright colors. The one leading the charge had a bright green mohawk, and in his hands he brandished a wicked-looking chain with a spiked end. He swung it above his head as he hollered and cried out in glee when he saw Lloyd. Behind him charged others.

"Oh, shit," Lloyd said, ducking down. He looked into Amata's worried eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Raiders, a group of them, I don't know how many. They're coming in and fast." He quickly checked his hunting rifle, seeing that it was fully loaded. Seeing him do this, Amata checked her pistol. It too was loaded. "Take some of the grenades out of my pack," he told her. She began to do so, and as she did he continued to speak. "They're coming at us with melee weapons. Use your sword if they get too close."

Amata paused to feel both her sword, belted at her hip, and the rapid beating of her heart. "Lloyd, I'm scared," she breathed.

"Yeah… me too." He looked into her eyes and swallowed hard, putting his fear aside. He could hear them getting close, shouting out taunts and insults. The battle loomed ominously in Lloyd's mind. "Get ready, Amata."

Lloyd stood up quickly and turned around to face the advancing raiders, which were roughly fifty feet away yet moving quickly. He aimed with his rifle, sighting the leader of the charge. He fired. The leader had a look of surprise on his face as he died; a look of surprise and only one intact eye. Lloyd had four bullets left in his gun. As he took aim again, he was distracted by a spark to his right. A raider somewhere among the ruins had a firearm and had missed. He knew he couldn't stand still much longer, and so he dived to the left, concealing himself behind a rock.

Amata threw a grenade then, aiming for the middle of them. It fell short and exploded a moment later, causing them all to stumble away and sending one raider flying wildly in one direction, missing a leg. He screamed in pain as the ground was painted with his blood. Amata watched in horrified fascination, distracted by the dismal display.

Lloyd stood up, seeing the raiders trying to get their bearings. He aimed at one, who was wearing a strange gasmask over her head, and fired. He hit the raider in the neck, and her blood began to pool up in her mask. Efficiently, he killed two more with one shot each. He couldn't help but feel like he was holding his old BB gun and he was back in the vault, shooting at the shooting gallery his father had made him.

But he was back in the moment then, no longer trapped in the past. He heard a bullet impact on the stone near him, and he was immediately reminded of the raider that was shooting at him. He had to buy time until he could find the shooter. "Throw another!" he called as he took cover again. Amata was similarly brought back to the current moment, shaken out of her stupor caused by the now-legless raider. She pulled the pin from the explosive, priming it, and threw it over the car.

A raider caught it. Lloyd's eyes widened when he saw the raider raise his arm and grab the explosive right out of the air. Did that just happen? It couldn't have, that kind of thing just doesn't happen. He felt his blood run cold when the raider tossed the grenade lightly back at the car, lightly bouncing off the side opposite Amata.

"Amata! Move! Now!" he cried, screaming at her to move. She began to move away from the car, but it was too late. The grenade exploded. Lloyd instinctively took cover behind a chunk of concrete when the grenade went off, but he could feel the heat washing over him. A second later, the car exploded in a great ball of flame. Amata flew backwards.

"Amata!" he cried, running towards her. Suddenly he felt a raider's fist pummel his jaw, knocking him down. He heard laughter from two raiders standing over him. His vision swam.

All he could see was Amata, lying very still. His fury rose.

The raider that had punched Lloyd suddenly found himself falling back as Lloyd wrapped his legs around his and twisted with his waist, causing the raider to trip. The other raider was about to fall upon Lloyd with the intent to beat him to death, but Lloyd's hand had found his pistol at his belt. Drawing it, Lloyd fired three times, hitting the man in the stomach. He grunted in pain as he grasped his stomach and fell to the ground, dying a moment later.

The other raider twisted out of the grip of Lloyd's legs and crawled along his body, reaching for his neck and gun hand. Lloyd felt the man's fingers close around his throat and wrist. Panicking and unable to shoot the man, he mustered up all of his strength and punched the man in the face with his free hand as he simultaneously brought his knee up into the man's groin, distracting him enough for Lloyd to free his gun hand and point it at the man's head.

A pull of the trigger coated Lloyd's face in a little blood. He pushed the dead weight of the man's body off of his own, and looked over at Amata. As he moved towards her, leaving the cover of the concrete rubble, another impact hit the ground near him. He ignored the hidden shooter and reached her still body.

She was breathing, which relieved Lloyd more than anything else in his life. He picked her up in his arms, grunting silently as his muscles strained. He began moving, as quickly as he could, focusing on stepping on even ground and avoiding the cracks in the road. 'One, two, one, two, one, two,' he thought, concentrating on his steps. Around him, more bullets plinked away at the concrete. He reached the corner of a large structure and set her down when he was certain he was out of their range.

Her eyes were closed. He quickly took off her stormchaser hat and threw it aside as he took her face in his hands. "Amata…" he said, barely above a whisper. Her eyes fluttered.

"Lloyd…"

"Amata, are you hurt?" she nodded. "Where? Tell me where, Amata," he urged.

"Arm… hurts…"

He looked at her arms. There was a tear in her suit's left arm, near the shoulder. Blood poured out of a wound. He cursed silently as he took his medical pack out from behind him and took out some Med-X, which would keep the pain at bay. He injected her, right beneath the opening and then tossed the empty syringe aside. He took out a stimulant pack and also injected it in the same spot. The kit had a rag, which he tore and quickly tied around the wound.

"Talk to me, Amata…" he said. "Come on baby, talk to me…"

She groaned a little bit. "Lloyd…"

He smiled. "You're not dead yet, not while I'm around."

"All dead?" she asked weakly.

His smile vanished. They were probably coming right now. "Not yet." He ran his hand along the side of her face and said, "Amata, I need you to wait here. Okay? Just… just wait here and I'll go deal with them."

"I don't like it out here very much…" she said rather numbly.

He nodded. "I know. Neither do I."

He leaned down and kissed her, then made a promise to return as soon as he could, before standing up and reloading his rifle as he walked back around the corner. He ran down the road a ways, noticing three raiders, each armed with guns. Two were standing in the open, approaching, and one was aiming out of the burnt-up half of a former public transportation bus. They saw him coming and fired.

Their aim was less than satisfactory. Lloyd's however, was not. He dived behind a pillar, rolling along the ground, before righting himself and popping out to return fire. He managed to shoot through the kneecap; he dropped his weapon and fell to the ground, screaming in pain. The other two shot at Lloyd, but only succeeded in hitting the pillar behind which he took cover.

Amata groaned as she stood back up, using the wall to brace herself. Her arm stung, but only a little. The Med-X was working its magic, helping her to ignore the pain. She looked in the direction Lloyd had gone. She saw a raider getting up from lying down, one she recognized from earlier. She thought she had killed him earlier with a grenade, but apparently he had only been knocked cold.

He had a serrated knife, and saw Lloyd first. He crouched low and began sneaking up to him. Amata's mind reeled. If he got one good hit on Lloyd's spine, he'd… She should shout out a warning, she knew she should, but words failed her. She began running, moving as fast as possible. Halfway there, she decided against shouting. That would only alert the raider, and if she moved fast enough, her plan would work. She knew it had to.

The sword was in her hands then, the sword taken from the bounty hunter. She swiftly moved towards the raider, who looked over and saw her, but didn't react nearly fast enough. She drove the blade into his side, using her full weight to drive it into his torso. He cried out in pain before awkwardly flopping over. Amata watched as he choked up blood, the light faded from his eyes and then he grew very, very still.

Lloyd turned around, hearing the noise. He saw her, standing mortified over the corpse of the raider she had just stabbed. "Amata…" Suddenly, he felt an incredible pain in his left shoulder as the raider from the bus got a lucky shot and hit him. He cried out, stumbling forward and clutching his shoulder. The raider smiled, before raising her gun to fire at Amata.

She never got the chance. A missile flew into the opened bus, further destroying the interior and obliterating the raider. The other survivor looked back and ran from the sight, before being gunned down with a hail of 5mm bullets from a minigun.

Amata looked over and saw a group of people approaching from the east road. They wore strange armor; large metal plates that covered their entire bodies. They wore helmets that covered their entire heads, and their matching armors were painted black with splashes of red. There were several of them, carrying various weapons. The one with the missile launcher was reloading. Behind them were two robots, protectron models, also painted in black and red to match the color scheme of their armor.

Three of them wielded laser weapons, and they moved off to deal with more raiders that had appeared from the northeast ruins. The rest of them turned to consider Lloyd and Amata. Amata ran to Lloyd, who was on his knees. She knelt before him, holding him.

"Lloyd? Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said, moaning in pain. "No, not really, actually, this hurts, this really, really hurts," he gritted his teeth as he tightly gripped the wound in his shoulder. "Ah, fucking hell…"

Her concern grew. "Okay Lloyd, just tell me what to do and I'll help you, okay? Just tell me what to do." She looked up at the men (or were they women? It was impossible to tell with the armor on) and shouted to them. "Hey! Can you help us please?"

They stood there, unmoving and silent. Amata waited for a reply that didn't come.

"He needs help!" she said. Still they ignored her. "What the hell's wrong with you?" Amata cried, her frustration at their inaction.

"Amata, just give me my pack and I'll patch myself up," Lloyd said. "Who are you shouting at?" He looked over at the strange armored figures and their robots.

"Just wait here and I'll go get your med pack," she said, standing up and running away to where he had carried her and helped her heal. She picked up the small pack and ran back to Lloyd ad fast as she could. He was there, trying to breathe steadily. "Now what?" she asked.

"Just hand me some Med-X and a stimpak, and I'll be alright. How's—fuck!" he said, suddenly gripping his shoulder. "How's… How's your arm doing?"

"It's fine, Lloyd. Here," she handed him the two syringes. He took them and quickly injected himself at the base of the wound. The bullet had passed through his shoulder; just missed the bone. Lloyd knew that it would heal with time and care.

"Alright, hand me those bandages," he said, motioning at the inside of the pack. "I'll patch you up first."

"I'm fine, Lloyd. You're hurt worse than I am." She handed him the rolled-up bandages. "Fix yourself first."

He nodded, and did so as Amata stood up. She turned to face the armored soldiers, and called out to them once more. "Excuse us," she said.

"Shut the fuck up, local," the foremost figure said with disgust apparent in his filtered voice.

She was taken aback by the sudden and extremely rude response. "What?"

"I said," the man stepped closer and held up his assault rifle, "shut the fuck up, local. Your voice annoys me."

Amata's brow furrowed. "What gives you the right to talk to me like that?"

"What gives me the right?" he laughed, as if it were an absurdity. He turned to the other soldiers, and they all laughed. He turned around, looking at her through the black glass in his helmet. "When you two are done banging rocks together to make fire, you can hike out of here and away from our sight."

Amata was about to respond with a sharp comeback, but she felt Lloyd's hand on her shoulder. He was on his feet, having bandaged his wounded shoulder.

"Ignore them," he said, looking at them. "They're not worth our time." The group leader heard this and had another laugh at their expense, with the others joining in once more.

They collected their things. Amata collected her sword from the dead raider's torso. So deep was it imbedded that she had to push against his body with her boot. Lloyd took a moment to wrap up Amata's wound, and then they were off once more, heading north to their destination. As they walked, they spoke.

"Who were those guys?" Amata asked.

"No idea," he said, taking a bite out of some jerky they had taken from the Super-Duper Mart. He felt hungry. "Want some?"

"How can you eat at a time like this?" she asked. "You were just shot and I was almost blown up! I stabbed a man so hard I had to use all my strength just to pull out the sword!"

"I'm hungry! What do you want from me?" He stopped and held his arms up.

"I just… I don't know." She sighed and crossed her arms. "I just need a minute to piece together what we just went through."

"Well, I got shot and you stabbed a man really hard. That's not too difficult," he said sarcastically, taking another bite of the raw, cooked meat.

"I swear to god, Lloyd, now is not the time for your sarcastic bullshit," she said.

"Alright, alright," he got closer and hugged her. "I'm sorry. I know we just went through… quite a bit. I'm glad we're still alive, really, but it won't do us any good to stand here and shout at each other."

She rested her head on his chest. "I know…"

They stood there for a moment, holding each other. "Come on. We'll still talk, but let's keep moving."

They walked, side by side, and continued to speak. "Those guys had armor unlike any I had ever seen before," Lloyd said.

"They were rude for no reason," she said. "They really got to me."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said, sliding his arm around her shoulder. "But they did kill the remaining raiders, so at least…" he was at a loss for words.

"At least?" she asked.

"At least they weren't hostile to us, I mean. Maybe they pitied us, and I don't know, maybe that's for the better. They helped us, just not as much as we might have helped them. But we weren't in any position to help them, were we?"

"It just gets to me, you know? They could've helped you. I mean, you were injured!"

"Yeah, I know. It could've been worse, is all I'm saying."

They were silent for a short while, stepping around rocks and various pieces of debris. "So… we almost died back there, huh?" Amata said.

"Yeah… we almost kicked it, alright. Had a guy trying to strangle me while you were down; I put the gun to his head and… Well, he's dead now."

An awkward silence followed.

"It's kind of weird, isn't it? A weird feeling?" she asked. "I kinda had my life flash before my eyes, I think."

"Well then, tell me what it was like being back in the vault. Warm welcome home?" he joked.

"I remembered when we had our first kiss," she said, smiling as she recalled the memory. Lloyd smiled as well.

"Yeah, that was kinda funny."

"Funny?" she said, looking at him and smiling wider. "You think that was funny?"

"Well, not at the time, no," he shrugged. "I mean looking back on it, it was funny. When it actually happened, it was more... awkward than funny."

"I kissed you first," she said. "Remember?"

"Yeah, and look where it got you." He stepped back, raised his arms and slowly spun in a circle. "All of this? Out here? All yours, baby."

"Well then," she said, crossing her arms and giving him a coy look, "I guess kissing you was the biggest mistake I ever made, huh?"

Lloyd paused and his smile vanished. He looked at her.

"Coming out here with me was the biggest mistake you ever made?"

Similarly, her smile vanished.

"No, Lloyd, I meant, okay wow," she said, reaching up to her forehead. "That... I didn't mean it like that. I don't know how it came out like that."

"It's okay. I understand." He resumed walking north, past Amata.

"No, Lloyd," she said as she caught up to him, "I meant... I don't know what I meant. I was making a joke!"

"I know you don't like it out here. I don't either, but I don't think it was a mistake for me to come out here." He stopped and looked at her. "Do you think it was a mistake for me to bring you out here with me? And almost get you killed?"

She stopped and paused. "You... it's not your fault that I almost died, Lloyd..."

He looked at the ground, and his voice grew quiet. "I think it was, Amata."

They stood there, both at a loss for words. Amata knew then what he felt: guilt. He felt guilty that he had convinced her to come with him outside of the vault, and that she had almost died today. She stepped closer.

"I could have said no."

His eyes shot up in surprise. "What?"

"I could have said no, Lloyd. I could have said that my place was in the vault, that I wouldn't have survived out there, that you would have... I could have said no."

"What... what do you mean, exactly? Why say that?"

"I made the choice to come out here with you, Lloyd. It was my decision, and you shouldn't feel guilty about it. I know you shouldn't."

He closed the distance between them and hugged her. "Amata, if anything happened to you..."

"It wouldn't be your fault, Lloyd."

"I want to believe that. I really, really do."

"So man up and stop being such a baby." Lloyd moved back and looked at her incredulously. "A minute ago you were brushing off death, and now you're almost about to tear up on me."

Amata's smile prompted Lloyd to smile as well, and then they both laughed. "I guess," he said between chuckles, "that I care about your life more than mine."

"That'd be sweet if it didn't sound so corny," she said.

Lloyd lost his smile then, but it wasn't because of what she had said. "You hear something?"

"What?"

"Gah! Fuck!" Lloyd said as he suddenly fell back, clutching the back of his leg. He pulled out a strange, biological dark about two inches long. "The fuck is this thing?"

"Lloyd! Lookout!" Amata said. He turned and saw what had stuck him with the dart.

It floated there, in the air, suspended by rapidly beating wings. It emitted a high-pitched whine, in addition to its constant buzzing sound. It resembled, in many aspects, a fly roughly the size of a football. Its head had two large, silvery eyes, and its main body had six segmented legs sticking out from it. The body ended in a pointed tail, from which it had launched his dart.

"The hell?" Lloyd muttered. Suddenly, from the tip of its tail, it launched another spike, which embedded itself in Lloyd's arm. "Fuck!" he said, gripping the spine and pulling it out. He reached for his pistol and fired three times, the second shot being the only successful hit. It struck the main body of the creature, rupturing it and causing it to fall down and ooze sickly looking grey liquid. Its insectoid legs twitched as it died.

"Lloyd! Are you okay?" she said, kneeling down next to him.

"Yeah," he said, standing up. "Those darts hurt a little, but it's really not bad." He looked at the carcass, which was slightly twitching.

"Well, are those darts poisonous?" she asked. Lloyd began to share her concern.

"Um... I don't know." Once more, he looked at the dead creature. "It looks like a fly... I don't think they're poisonous."

"Yeah, but flies don't grow that large and shoot spikes from their abdomen," Amata pointed out, clearly growing more concerned. Lloyd put a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"Let's just calm down, alright? They probably aren't poisonous, and if they are, we won't know for a while. So let's just go, alright? We can't be far off." He began walking north once more.

"It's nice how you can just brush off this stuff, you know that? Am I the only one of the two of us who's worried here?"

"It's not entirely unlikely."

"Smart-mouth..." she muttered.

* * *

"No, no, please! For the love of god, what's wrong with you!?"

The raider raised her sledgehammer and brought it down on the wastelanders head, caving it in. She laughed at the sight of it, thinking that it resembled a broken egg, only instead of yoke leaking out it was the poor man's brains. "Get Tailhide over here and cook him up with his flamer," she called out. "We're gonna be eating good tonight!"

Suddenly, a powerful set of jaws clamped down on her throat, and a vicious tearing noise could be heard as the animal ripped her neck apart. She began choking and coughing up blood as the weight of the animal brought her down, where she died seconds later.

Her compatriots were quick to react, but when the animal turned its blue and brown eyes and let out a fearsome growl, baring its blood-caked teeth, they knew they were in trouble.

* * *

"Think that's Minefield?" Lloyd asked, pointing to the large, mostly fenced-off area that was full of old, destroyed cars. A large crane had fallen over long ago, and its mass had crushed many of the cars upon which it laid.

"Moira said it was a town. This looks more like a scrapyard or something."

Lloyd checked his Pip-Boy. "Yeah, we're still a little too far south, at least by Moira's estimates. C'mon, we'll walk through."

As they entered the scrapyard, they heard gunshots.

"Oh hell," Amata said. Lloyd began moving more quickly. "Wait up!"

Lloyd didn't know the circumstances of whatever was happening; all he knew was that someone could be in danger. Hunting rifle in hand, he headed towards the gunshots with Amata close behind him. As he neared, he could hear screams. Was it some kind of monster they were fighting?

As he ran around a large, destroyed bus, he saw what was unmistakably a raider. Only he was running away from something. Before Lloyd eyes, a dog leapt out from behind a car and attacked the raider, biting the back of his neck. The raider went down screaming, and because of the canine's continued clamp, and the vigorous twisting and tearing motions, he was soon dead.

The dog looked up at Lloyd then, its wolf-like head held low. Its pointed, triangular ears flattened against its head. Its eyes were interesting, one was blue and the other was a bright brown. Its coat was black on top, silvery-gray in the middle and white underneath.

It growled at Lloyd, but did not move.

Amata caught up to Lloyd, and saw the dog. She gasped when she saw its mouth, which was covered in dripping blood. 'Raider blood...' she thought, when she saw the body it was still standing upon.

Lloyd moved closer, two steps, and the dog barked angrily. He quickly stepped back and, very slowly and calmly, not breaking the dog's gaze, set his rifle down on the ground.

"Lloyd, what are you doing? We should get away from this thing," she urged.

"Easy boy..." he said, apparently ignoring Amata's advice. "Easy..." he slid off his backpack and took out a small plastic baggy that contained cooked iguana bits. Still moving slowly, he took a few pieces out. "Smell this, boy?"

The dog's menacing look seemed to fade a bit. It was no longer baring its teeth, but its posture still was one of warning. Lloyd smiled, trying to be as nice as possible. "See these boy? Here," and with that, he tossed a few over.

Tentatively, still keeping his head low, the dog crawled over and began sniffing the food. Its tongue came out and licked up the meat, and it chewed hungrily.

Amata crouched down next to Lloyd. "What are you doing, exactly?" she asked.

"I've just got a feeling..." he muttered. "Here boy... C'mere, here boy..." he began to gesture with his hands, beckoning the dog over. He held more iguana bits in one hand.

The dog slowly began walking over, one paw in front of another, until he was about two feet away from Lloyd and Amata, who were still with anticipation at what the dog might do. Amata was still slightly frightened of the animal, but it did appear to be a little friendly, so her trepidation was fast fading.

Lloyd held out his hand, palm-up, presenting the food. After a moment, the dog moved up and licked the food out of Lloyd's hand, allowing him to pet the soft fur of the creature's head. It made a sound that Lloyd registered as one of approval. Cautiously, Amata reached out and touched the dog's nose, stroking its short fur. To her surprise, it licked her hand.

To say the least, its behavior now was a stark contrast to just a moment ago.

"See? He's a nice little doggy, isn't he?" Lloyd said, scratching behind the dog's ears. It panted happily, and Amata smiled as she too began petting and touching the soft coat.

"So why were you killing those raiders, little guy?" he said. The dog looked up at Lloyd with his heterochromatic eyes and whined. As if understanding the dog's meaning, Lloyd stood up and walked around a few cars, and saw a dismal sight.

Four raiders lay dead, their throats torn and shredded. Lying not far away from one was someone who, if Lloyd was to judge based off of his garb, was clearly not a raider, but a wastelander. His head was caved in, and the sledgehammer with the blooded head lying not too far away gave him a clear idea of what had happened here.

But more importantly, if Lloyd's rising theory about how the events had just recently played themselves out were true, then that would mean that this dog had killed five raiders... all by himself.

"Did they kill your master, boy?" Lloyd asked. Amata looked up, still petting him.

The dog whined a little.

"Holy shit..." he breathed. Amata stood up, and the dog looked up at her.

"What happened here, Lloyd?" she asked, moving around to get a view. She gasped.

Lloyd looked back at the dog, who had moved closer and sat down before the two of them.

"This dog killed all of these raiders... because they killed its master."

The dog's panting brought their attention back down to him. Lloyd knelt to pet him again, and the canine growled contentedly. "He doesn't have a collar with a name on it," Lloyd said. "I think he needs a name, don't you?"

"Um, Lloyd? Are we so sure he won't bite our necks out too?" Amata said, once more being cautious of the animal.

"He didn't bite your neck out when you were petting him. Far as I can tell, he's only killed people who tried to kill him and his master." The dog barked once and then Lloyd resumed stroking the dog's neck. "Come on, he's a nice little guy. What should we name him?"

"Look, I'm not opposed to the idea. I just don't know if we can feed him."

"We'll feed him raiders!" he joked.

"Not very funny, Lloyd. The last thing we need is for him to have a taste for human flesh."

"Right, right, right. We'll feed him iguana, I think he likes it, don't you boy?" Lloyd held out some more of the cooked meat to the complacent animal, and he happily lapped it up. "See? He loves it."

Amata sighed. "Alright, alright." She relented and stroked the dog's fur. "So, he needs a name?"

"I'm thinking... Dogmeat."

Amata paused for a moment.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" she said.

"What? I like it."

"How'd you even come up with that?"

"I dunno." He thought for a moment. "It just came to me."

"Well that's just... no. It's just no, alright? It's a stupid name."

"Fine, fine," he sat back, crossing his arms. "What do you suggest?"

"Hmm... I'm thinking something Russian."

"Russian? Of all the pre-war countries, why Russia?"

"Well, Lloyd, I happen to know a thing or two about dogs from reading about them in the vault," she said. "And I think this is a Siberian husky. Siberia, AKA, Russia."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Can you be sure about that? Him being a Siberian husky and all that."

"I read that this condition, right here," she said, pointing to the dog's unique eyes, "is a trait not uncommon among the Siberian huskies. Plus, his coat and ears match the pictures I saw of them."

"Alright, so until we know better, he's a husky. You know any Russian names, then?"

"Mishka."

"What? No, no," Lloyd said whilst shaking his head.

"Well why not?"

"That sounds like a girl's name," Lloyd said, sitting cross legged. The dog laid his head on Lloyd's knee.

"So? What's that got to do with it?" she said, somewhat offended.

"What I mean is, this is a boy."

"How do you know?"

They both looked down at the dog, who looked back up at them with curious eyes.

"I, uh... I just got a feeling," Lloyd said, not willing to actually check.

"A feeling, huh? Well I got a feeling that we need a gender-neutral name."

"A Russian one?"

"Well, of course," she answered.

Lloyd rubbed his chin in thought, and he began repeating, "Russian... Russian... Russ... Bingo."

"Bingo?" she said. "Like the song?"

"No, no, Russ!" he exclaimed. "Drop the 'I' and the 'A' from Russia and what do you end up with?"

"Russ..." she looked down at the husky, and patted his head. "Russ. I like it. Though, by that same logic, we could just call him Siber."

"Oh... hey," he said, considering her point, "that's not half bad either... Sounds like some kind of badass tiger or something, you know?"

"Too late, I like Russ, so Russ it is."

"Ah, hell. Alright then," he smiled and patted Russ on the head, who whined happily. "Let's get out of here." He looked down at Russ. "How 'bout it boy? Wanna get going?"

Russ barked in response.

The three of them set out not too long after, heading north. Russ treaded between the two of them, faithfully following his new masters. The two of them could see Minefield now, a collection of houses and burnt-up structures not far away. Lloyd checked the map on his Pip-Boy. "That's it alright," he said.

"So Lloyd, we never talked about what exactly we're going to do about these landmines," Amata said. "I think stepping on something that can take your leg off would be, you know, a bad thing."

"Lemme check something," he said, flipping through his Pip-Boy's data files. "Here, this is the mine variety Moira told us to watch out for. She gave me the info right before we left for Minefield when we stopped in to see her." The picture on the screen was a small, disk-shaped metal device with a black cog shape on top and a light that turned red when armed. "Says here that they're from an old pre-war military issued line. They can be disarmed by getting in close and pressing the button on top. They beep for about a second and a half and then go off with a big bang."

"Alright... so, what? We just go in and try not get blown the hell up?" she asked.

"I wonder how far the radius of the minefield exactly is... Are they just inside the town? Or what?"

"I guess we'll just have to get closer and find out."

They began walking closer to the town. Lloyd was ahead of them by a few feet.

Suddenly, he heard a beeping noise. Reacting quickly, he dived away as the ground where he had just been standing exploded. Amata cried out in surprise, falling back. Lloyd hit the ground rolling.

Then, he heard another beeping noise. "Fuck!" he cried. With all the might he could muster, he pushed off of the ground away from the beeping noise. The second explosion propelled him a few feet away.

* * *

His eyes shot wide open. He knew what the sound signified. He quickly scrambled out of bed, picking up his sniper rifle as he did so, and ran up the stone steps to get to his vantage point.

The slavers had come back to Minefield. He picked looked through his scope and began combing the area.

He'd find the slavers. Find them and kill them all. They weren't going to take him away, never.

Not as long as he breathed.

* * *

Lloyd scrambled backwards as quickly as he can, until he felt himself backing into Amata's arms. His heart was racing. "Holy shit, holy shit..." he breathed.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think so... my limbs still all here?"

"Yeah."

Suddenly, a bullet impacted the ground, not an inch from Lloyd's foot. "Shit!" He scrambled to move, and Amata as well. Another shot hit the dirt; this one was very close again.

Russ started barking, and took off into the minefield. "Russ!" Amata cried. All around the fast moving pooch, beeping mines started to sound.

But they didn't blow up faster than Russ could run. He cut a trail right through the middle of Minefield, leaving a trail of explosions a second and a half in his wake. The crazed sniper tried to follow the dog with his rifle, but he moved too fast. All over town Russ ran, setting off mine after mine, and none of them hitting him.

Lloyd couldn't believe how fast things were moving. 'How smart could that damn dog be? Was he trained for this?' Lloyd saw his opening and charged into Minefield, following Russ' trail of blown-up mines. He looked up to the burnt concrete tower the sniper was standing atop of. The sniper was an old man, with a gray beard and scraggly-looking clothing. He saw Lloyd, but Lloyd was already aiming.

A single shot was all it took. The old man cried out and clutched his chest, dropping his rifle at his feet. Lloyd's aim hadn't been perfect; but the shock from the bullet wound was apparently enough. He then fell over the edge, three stories to the ground, right on top of one of his own landmines. The explosion was instant.

And then everything was very, very quiet.

Lloyd stood there, rifle in hand, looking at the smoldering remains of Minefield's only inhabitant. "Jesus Christ..."

"Lloyd?" Amata called out from outside the range of the buildings.

"I'm here..." he replied, rather meekly. He cleared his voice. "I'm here!"

Amata ran up behind him. "I, uh... I got one of the mines." She held up a landmine, deactivated.

Lloyd turned to regard it. "Well, uh, hot damn. Nice work," he said. Russ ran up to them then, sitting on his hind legs and panting. "And you!" he said, kneeling down to pet Russ. "You're a smart little guy, aren't you? Charging in there like that? Well, either smart or stupid, when I think about it."

"How about lucky?" Amata said. "Lucky Russ."

"Yeah... hang on, I wanna check something." Lloyd moved into the concrete building. He carefully avoided the mess of limbs and organs that once was the sniper.

On the second floor of the building, Lloyd found the sniper's bed and some food. "Food up here," he called down. He moved up to the third level, and saw the sniper rifle lying near some boxes of ammunition.

"Anything up there?" Amata called up, beginning to collect the boxes of Salisbury steak into her backpack.

"Yeah," he said, holding up the sniper rifle to inspect it. "A new toy."

As he opened up the ammo boxes and started pulling out clips of .308 rounds for the sniper rifle. He estimated that there were about forty bullets in all, though he could count them later for an exact number.

Amata walked up the stairs to join him. "Now what?" she asked.

He sighed. "Today's been weird and full of explosions. I think I wanna go home."

She nodded. "Me too." Russ barked, as if agreeing. They smiled and petted their newest companion.

* * *

As they departed Minefield, a sniper scope watched them go, but did not fire. "Sons of bitches..." the sniper muttered to himself.

For three months now he had been trying to get into Minefield and kill Arkansas, that most crazed and difficult of targets, who had kept himself trapped in Minefield and killed anyone who got near with his rifle. And now these two and their dog show up out of nowhere and kill him in five minutes?

He had suffered countless injuries at the hands of Arkansas' rifle and his goddamn seemingly inexhaustible supply of landmines. And he had made a game out of it, trying to get into Minefield and stake his claim as the master sniper of the land. Only instead of that dream being a reality, now he felt like a complete and total fool for wasting all this time.

But he only considered his time wasted for just a moment. For now he had a new target.

Or should he say, two. Or three, but only if he felt like eating dog that night.

He wanted that sniper rifle that the male carried. It was his by right. He would kill them and take that rifle, yes! But not now, no. Not yet. He had, in his own twisted sense, a humor and honor. He believed that the kids had earned their right to live for killing Arkansas. He'd let them walk free; to him, it didn't feel right to attack them now.

He also knew he couldn't do this alone. He strove to get into contact with his old friendly rival, Laszlo Redford. He'd help him track down those two.

After all, how hard could it be to find two vault dwellers with big 101's on their backs?

Not hard for a sniper like Sam Warrick.

* * *

"Holy shit..." was the only thing Lloyd could say. Amata held her hand up to her mouth in shock. Russ whined.

The entrance to Megaton was smoking, and people were moving all around. As they approached, one of the settlers called out to him.

"You two!" he said, moving closer. "This is all your fucking fault!"

"Yeah!" another one called out, moving to join the first. Then there were three, then four, all shouting at Lloyd and Amata. Russ began barking fiercely, but did not attack.

Lloyd and Amata didn't know how to react. What was happening?

"Hey! You all back off!" a loud, booming voice called out. The crowd backed away from the pair and their dog as Lucas Simms appeared in the entranceway to Megaton. "You all get back to work! We've gotta get this door back up, now move damnit!"

Grumbling, they resumed their work, though more than a few turned hateful gazes towards the two of them. Lloyd and Amata saw that they were bolting and welding metal together to patch the hole.

"Lucas... what the fuck happened here?" Lloyd said, moving up to Megaton's sheriff and mayor.

"I think you two need to come with me."

They entered Megaton, heading for Lucas' home. As they did, a man from outside threw an empty bottle at Lloyd, but missed. It soared past him and hit the wall. When it happened, Lucas hurriedly rushed the three of them inside.

When the door was shut, Amata spoke first. "What's with those people?"

Lucas sighed. "Take a seat," he motioned. They both sat, and Russ curled up at their feet, whining softly. Lucas lit up a cigar.

"Lucas? What happened here? We leave early in the morning, come back in the late afternoon, and Megaton goes to hell somewhere in between?" Lloyd asked.

"That's exactly it." He took a slow puff, blowing out the smoke in his lungs before continuing. "A group of extremely tenacious and ruthless mercenaries known as Talon Company came to rescue Burke from here. They broke in, shot up the joint, killed a fair deal of good people."

"Oh god..." Amata said.

"They got Burke out, and we couldn't follow them. Not with the wounded we already had to deal with. A small group of raiders from Springvale Elementary attacked us, killed seven more people, injured more."

"Springvale Elementary?" Lloyd asked. "We walked past that earlier before we crossed the river..."

"All told, we lost a lot of people today... and a lot of the survivors are blaming you two, on account of Burke being the one they came for."

"Us?" Lloyd whispered. Lucas nodded.

"The Church of Atom began spreading rumors that your actions were the direct cause of all the trouble. Capturing Burke being the main catalyst."

"Yeah, but I also disarmed the bomb and fixed this town's water!" Lloyd nearly shouted. "Burke was going to blow this town up, and we got rid of him! We couldn't possibly have known that this would-"

Lucas put his hands up and interrupted Lloyd, saying, "I know, I know. But some folks just can't see past the dead bodies we're still dealing with. Jenny lost her brother. Maggie got shot in the leg during the raider attack."

"Maggie? Billy's adopted daughter?" Lloyd said. Lucas nodded and Amata gasped a little. Lloyd sat back, his head hung low with defeat.

And guilt.

For a moment, all was silent.

"Are we still welcome in Megaton?" Amata spoke up.

Lucas shook his head. "I don't know. I think it'd be best if you two distanced yourself from this place for a while. Can't predict what might happen if you stay. I can't quite recommend a great many places to go, but there's a few other settlements that aren't far."

Lloyd took off his combat helmet and goggles. "I'm sorry, Lucas... for everything."

"It ain't your fault," a new voice said, walking into the shack. It was Billy Creel.

"Billy, I-" Lloyd began. Billy held his hand up.

"Now don't make more 'o this than what's needed, Lloyd. It ain't your fault. Maggie's been patched up and she'll be walkin' again in no time."

Lloyd nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Me too," Amata added.

"I'm sorry it came to this, Lloyd. Really. People jus' can't see past the moment sometimes, ya know?"

"Yeah."

Billy put his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Ye're aces in my book, Lloyd. An' you too, 'Mata. You've got my blessing on all 'o your travels."

"Thanks, Billy," Amata said as she stood.

Billy nodded at the assembled company, then left. Lucas turned to Lloyd. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Lloyd. As long as Talon Company is on Burke's payroll, they'll come after you. You won't be safe out there in the wastes." He took a moment to puff on his cigar. "That's not to say the wastes are usually safe, but when a mercenary company is after your head, things tend to get harsher."

"The two of us almost died a few times today," Lloyd said. "Nothing's changed out in the wastes as far as I'm concerned."

Lucas nodded, but then changed the subject. "I've written a letter to some people I used to be affiliated with before I settled down here as sheriff and mayor. They're called the Regulators."

"Regulators?" Amata asked.

"They're going to investigate Talon Company's relationship with Burke, and see if Littlehorn & Associates is involved in any way."

"Littlehorn and what?" Lloyd asked.

Lucas closed his eyes. "There's a lot in the wasteland you two still don't know about. I've seen a lot in my days as a Regulator. I've seen the worst out there, and Talon Company and Littlehorn & Associates are two of the worst. Littlehorn is a contract killing company that hires mercenaries, bounty hunters and cutthroats to kill people they consider 'good.' The killers then collect the ear of the victim and sell it to Daniel Littlehorn, a most troubling and elusive man."

"Why the hell would anyone in their right mind create such a horrible thing?" Lloyd asked, appalled by Lucas' description of the company.

"The Regulators have been in a secret war with Littlehorn for a long time. If their connection to Talon Company, something we've suspected for a long time now, is actual fact, than the Regulators are in serious trouble."

"And if Burke controls Talon Company, he'll have a lot of say with Littlehorn, right?" Amata asked. Lucas nodded.

"Then we'll be having both Talon Company and Littlehorn coming after the both of us."

"That's my fear, yes," Lucas confirmed.

Lloyd nodded, somberly accepted the reality of the situation they had caught themselves in. "We won't stay in Megaton, Lucas. We won't endanger these people any more by simply being here, being a target for them to come after."

"Where will we go, Lloyd?" Amata asked. Lloyd could only shake his head in response.

"I want you two to have this," Lucas said, holding up a bag. Lloyd took it and opened it. It was filled to the brim with caps.

"Two thousand," Lucas said. "My entire personal treasury."

"Lucas, I... we can't accept this," Lloyd said. Lucas shook his head.

"Take it, buy Jericho's service and have him take you to D.C. and maybe, after a while has past, you two can come back. Your house will always be here. I'll make sure nobody touches it."

Lloyd looked at Lucas, who gave him a look of understanding. "We'll come back, Lucas. But only after we've made things right."

"What do you mean by that?" Lucas asked.

"I'm going to make a vow, Lucas, right here and now, to destroy Talon Company, Littlehorn, and Burke too. They're not going to get away with the things they've done."

Amata's mouth hung slightly open, disbelieving Lloyd's bold words. Below them, Russ whimpered.

"You don't have to do any such thing," Lucas told him. "It's a fool's errand to go up against such odds. Suicidal. Talon's got numbers we can only guess at, and Littlehorn won't ever give up his hiding place without one hell of a fight."

"Yes, I do. It's too late for the two of us, Lucas. We didn't want to get caught in your invisible war but here we are. There's no turning back now."

Lucas was quiet for a good, long moment. "You know, boy, you remind me a little of myself. I was stupid once, too. Courageous, but stupid. Got hurt. Lost more than I might've kept if I hadn't acted the way I acted."

"You're still here, aren't you?" Lloyd asked.

"It's not always about surviving to tell the story, boy. Sometimes it's about losing that which you hold dearest."

Lloyd looked at Amata, who met his gaze. They shared a moment, though both of them couldn't really guess at what the other was thinking. Amata's hand found his and gripped tightly. "We can't fight them, Lloyd. We're not here to. We need to find your father."

Lloyd swallowed and took a moment to steady his nerves. "Yeah… Okay. Let's focus on that."

Lucas pointed at the caps. "I'd take the money, and get out by nightfall," Lucas advised. He tossed aside the cigar, and said, "May god help you both."

"Thank you, Lucas. For everything," Amata said.

"You two are good people. You didn't deserve any of this, but at least we all know where we stand."

As they turned to leave, Lloyd looked back at Lucas. "Are there still raiders at that school in Springvale?" he asked. The sheriff nodded. "Good. Not for long."

* * *

"Don't even fucking start with me, Jericho," Jenny said, wiping the counter of the Brass Lantern. "Just leave me the fuck alone and go get piss-ass drunk like you always do."

"Look, all I said was that I was sorry for your brother, alright?" Jericho said. "He didn't deserve to go out the way he did."

"Just shut up."

Jericho shook his head. Deep down, he knew why Jenny hated him so much, because of what he had tried to do in the past. They had ignored it since then, never talking much beyond Jericho ordering food every day. He sighed and stood up, walking away. He turned around and said, "Someday I'll make it up to you, Jenny."

"Jericho!" Lloyd called out. The old raider turned around to see him approaching. "I've got your money."

"Shit, kid, really? That was fucking fast." Lloyd tossed the bag of caps that Lucas had given them.

"That's double your amount. Buy yourself something really nice, Jericho, because we're going straight to Springvale Elementary and we're killing every last goddamn raider there." Lloyd spoke loudly so that anyone within earshot could hear. He turned and walked away to his house, with a very concerned Amata close behind him.

Jericho couldn't believe his fortune. Two thousand caps? He didn't even know what to do with such wealth. And talk of killing all those raiders at Springvale Elementary...

Jericho looked over at Jenny. He didn't say anything, only looked. He picked up the bag and moved off quickly, excitement guiding his steps.

* * *

Lloyd entered their home quickly, moving to the fridge. "Lloyd?" Amata called out to him. "Lloyd! What are you thinking? Going after raiders?"

"We killed plenty today."

"And almost died!" she reminded him.

Lloyd ignored her and began packing the food into his backpack. "Fill up any empty bottles you find. We'll need as much water as we can get."

"Lloyd!" she shouted his name and grabbed his shoulders. Behind them, in the doorway, Russ barked.

"What?" he retorted, smacking her arms aside. She stepped back, fear on her face.

"Lloyd... Stop it, please..." small tears formed in her eyes. Lloyd's hand lowered.

He stopped when he saw her face. "Amata... I'm so sorry," he said, wrapping her in a hug. She sobbed quietly. "This is more than we expected. So much more." His mind was filled with grim images. Wasteland assassins hunting them for caps, working for a man like Burke… He knew that, through their actions, they had ended up in some serious trouble.

"We'll get through this, Amata... I promise you that. No matter what. We'll get through this."

He repeated it several more times, and they stood there like that for a few minutes. Finally, Amata spoke up and said, "It isn't fair, Lloyd, it just isn't fair what this wasteland does to people, you know? It changes people. I'm worried that it'll change you, too."

"I know..." he said, closing his eyes, "I'm not going to let it change me into something I'm not, Amata. I swear it."

"You would have never sworn to kill a group of people in the vault," she said between sobs, "Never."

"I know... I know, I know... I'm sorry..." he said, speaking soothing words as he ran his hands through her hair. "This world is so different from our old one... so very different..."

And he did know it. For better or for worse, the wasteland was transforming Lloyd Freeman. As for what he was transforming into, he had no idea.

He thought of his father then, and he heard James' voice in his head.

_"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."_

He would find his father and make him answer for why he had left the vault, why he had so severely damaged Lloyd's life. He would find him and get his answers.

Or die trying.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	6. Gotta Hate Super Mutants… Sometimes

A large, perfectly clean set of automatic steel doors slid open to reveal a tall, middle-aged man with gray hair and a tan-colored suit that gave off the impression of a militaristic individual. Which he was: he was Colonel Augustus Autumn of the Enclave; the last, true remnant of the pre-war United States government, and in their eyes, the true owners of all America, and all beyond its borders.

The Enclave had spent quite some time revitalizing itself from its defeats on the west coast, the death of President Dick Richardson being chief among them. There, they had created a plan to release a highly-toxic mutagen created from the FEV virus into the wasteland to kill all tainted humans that weren't members of the Enclave, whom had survived the Great War by retreating to a large, offshore oil platform.

However, the legendary tribal known only as "the Chosen One" put an end to their plot, and killed the president before the reengineered FEV virus could be released. But that was only a setback. The Enclave needed time to prioritize, to regroup, and to stake a new claim on American soil.

They knew just where to begin, and more importantly... their new President lived there.

John Henry Eden, a former presidential advisor, rallied the remnants of the Enclave to his call. They have remained hidden for thirty years in a secret underground complex known as Raven Rock, preparing for their new, ultimate goal: the invasion and occupation of the Capital Wasteland. From there, they would truly have an established hold on American soil. It seemed so obvious: the reclamation of the former capital of both the pre-war government and the American Commonwealths.

And now, that plan was beginning to become a reality.

Colonel Autumn was the son of a brilliant scientist, Autumn Senior, who was the man who took control of the defeated Enclave and brought them to the east coast, to serve under John Henry Eden. The Colonel paced around the stainless steel room, around the large metal table at which seven people sat. They wore military uniforms, colored desert tan like his own, and they eagerly yet respectfully awaited his words.

"Gentlemen," he began in his calm, reserved voice, "we've spent a lot of time planning, and preparing. The troops have been trained, the equipment forged. Our time has come."

"Has the President confirmed this?" one of the generals asked.

"He has. He and I have been... discussing, the future of the Enclave. He and I both believe that now is the time to make our move. A rather... unique opportunity is presenting itself."

"What is it?" another asked.

"For years now, our eyebots have been serving us well. They've kept us supplied with information about the wasteland and all things inside it, as well as broadcasting our intents to the people through the President's articulate monologues. Our hidden sentries, dedicated and brave individuals who have volunteered to infiltrate the wastes and mingle among the filthy humans that inhabit it have very been faithful in reporting everything they have done and seen. They will be rewarded well when they return, and those that have not survived have nothing short of our dearest condolences, but they knew the risk. Because of these facts, and because of a recent intelligence report, we have decided to make our move very soon."

"What exactly dictates 'soon?'" a third man at the table asked.

Autumn leaned over the table to look at all the men assembled. "A very rare, dare I say, one in a billion, chance is going to present itself soon. We know not how long it will take, but our best estimates put it at a few weeks at the most. Gentlemen, this," he said, pulling out a small remote and pushing a button, "is Doctor James Freeman."

A picture appeared on a large screen that dominated one of the walls. It showed a man, middle-aged and wearing a Vault 101 jumpsuit, sitting at a diner bar. Behind the bar was a woman with brown hair, wearing a yellow jumpsuit. Though the assembled men did not know it, the picture was taken in Megaton, and the woman behind the bar was Jenny Stahl.

"What significance does this one man hold to the Enclave?" a fourth Enclave leader spoke up.

Autumn turned to face him. "Everything."

* * *

"There it is," Lloyd said. A simple statement in itself, but what he was referring to was anything but simple. Springvale Elementary, which, according to all reports, was full of murderous raiders. The school was a complete wreck, with the upper half of the building destroyed and the side that faced the Potomac River was completely torn open and the interior exposed. That wasn't the side they were going to approach from.

Lloyd had briefly, only briefly, discussed with Jericho their entry strategy. They quickly decided on, "Go in and fuck 'em up hard and fast," as Jericho put it.

"Lloyd... we don't need to do this." Amata's protest rang true in Lloyd's mind, after all, they didn't technically have to do anything. But these raiders had attacked and killed citizens of Megaton. In Lloyd's mind, justice loomed ahead for these raiders.

"We fuckin' going sometime soon, or never?" their newest companion, a rather grizzled and rude former raider by the name of Jericho, asked. His assault rifle was in his hands, and his fingers excitedly tapped on the grip in anticipation of the coming slaughter. Behind him, Russ, their canine compatriot, wagged his tail and panted.

"Our packs might slow us down, we should be careful," Amata noted. Lloyd nodded. When they had packed up everything they owned in Megaton, they agreed to split all the food and medicine they had in between them. Now they both carried food, medicine and ammunition in addition to the weapons they already carried.

"We have to do this, Amata. If we don't, nobody will." Amata wanted to argue, she really did. But she thought it was futile. Ever since earlier that day, when Lloyd had sworn to destroy the forces Burke had assembled under his control or influence, she had seen what she perceived to be almost a completely different side of Lloyd, one she couldn't say she liked very much.

The wasteland was full of danger, and dangerous people, and she hoped Lloyd wouldn't become one of them. She hoped she could stop him from treading down that dark path, but she knew she couldn't stop him from attacking these raiders.

And despite her best efforts to deny its existence, she couldn't ignore the small part of her mind that spoke to her, telling her that what they were doing, no matter how violent, was right. 'It is a justice...' she thought, but remained silent.

As he often did, Lloyd adjusted his goggles and helmet, checked the straps of his modified jumpsuit and looked up to the cloudy sky. "It's getting late. Think there'll be beds in there, Jericho?"

Jericho nodded. "Where there's a raider camp, there're beds. Even they gotta sleep sometime. They usually keep shit night patrols; we could get real close."

"You would know..." Amata muttered to herself. Lloyd and Jericho began walking down the road that led past a large, ruined sign and straight up to the front doors of the former school. Dutifully, Amata and Russ followed. The sign used to have letters on it, reporting the daily activities of the elementary school, but many of them had fallen off, rendering it illegible.

They approached the front doors. There was no sign of raider activity, yet. Lloyd steadied his breathing, preparing for the fight that undoubtedly waited inside. Amata calmed her nerves. Jericho smiled. Russ, being a dog, continued to wag his tail.

Lloyd kicked the double doors in, revealing a grim sight.

What once was an entrance lobby to an elementary school, a place where children laughed and played and learned, had been perverted and twisted into something horrible. A large cage had been erected, and inside it were skeletons. Small skeletons... they belonged to children. Blood from a mattress that was laid atop the bars dripped down and pooled below. Bolted to the wall on the right were two dead bodies in varied states of mutilation and decapitation. Limbs missing, heads gone. Above them, corpses hung on spiked chains. The room absolutely reeked with a horrible, rotting smell.

All too familiar sights and smells when it came to raiders, yet always, constantly mortifying. 'How could anyone do this to other human beings?' thought both Lloyd and Amata.

Amata turned her eyes away from the sight. Jericho chuckled and spoke. "Just like old times again..."

Amata felt, at that moment, an almost unfathomable urge to turn around and put a gun to Jericho's head and pull the trigger. She even might have if Lloyd hadn't spoken.

"Keep that kind of shit to yourself, Jericho."

They moved past the cage, over splatters of blood, bits of gore and a burnt-out barrel. Lloyd, leading them, encountered two wooden doors. They were slightly broken and had holes in them. Looking through, Lloyd could see lockers.

Behind him, Jericho and Amata passed by a door that was suddenly kicked in by a raider with wild eyes. The raider aimed at Amata.

Jericho was the quicker combatant. He raised his assault rifle and fired rapidly, filling the raider with bullets in a manner of seconds. Lloyd whipped around, hunting rifle in hand, only to find Jericho calmly reloading and Amata stunned.

"The hell was that?" Lloyd asked.

Jericho cocked a smile as he blew the smoke from his rifle's barrel. "Been a long time since I killed anyone. God... missed this feeling."

Lloyd walked forward and looked through the doorway at the dead raider. He could hear movement above them alongside muffled shouts. "At least they know we're here now," he said. "Let's take them out." He looked at Amata. "You alright?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Just surprised, is all."

He nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go. Follow me," Lloyd said, moving through the door and past the dead raider. There was an empty classroom which Lloyd didn't pay much mind to. He turned left and walked down the hallway, avoiding bits of debris from the broken ceiling. Behind him, Amata, Jericho and Russ followed. Russ kept his ears flat against his head and growled silently, sensing the raiders moving inside the building.

"You're all gonna fucking die!" a muffled shout came from above.

"Say that to my fucking face!" Jericho shouted back. Lloyd looked back at him. He was obviously enjoying this encounter the most out of the four of them. Shaking his head, Lloyd turned and rounded the left corner, seeing the lockers he had seen before from the broken doors. This hallway had two bathrooms, but they were too disgusting to contemplate going inside.

Reaching the end of the locker hallway, he turned right. Through the dim fluorescent lighting, he could see another set of doors. His internal sense of direction told him that he was facing north, and a quick glance at his Pip-Boy confirmed it.

A raider suddenly busted through those doors, armed only with his fists. His hair was styled in a mohawk and his chest was covered only with straps of dirty leather. He wailed wildly and charged at Lloyd, who raised his rifle and shot once. The man fell back, a hole in his chest. After flailing about wildly for a moment, the spasms ceased and he died with wide, incredibly wide eyes.

"The hell was up with him?" Lloyd asked.

"He was high on Jet," Jericho said as if it were obvious. "Or Psycho. Hard to tell the difference sometimes, but either way they all go crazy like that one."

"Jet and Psycho? Those some kind of drugs?" Lloyd asked.

The old raider nodded. "Yeah, really fucking effective shit, too. Mess around with that kinda shit too much and eventually you'll end up a complete wreck. I never fucked with that stuff, too distracting, you know? I knew a guy once who died of overdose. Should've seen him, his eyes were white and his skin pale and shit... he really got fucked up."

In hindsight, it wasn't the best time for a conversation, as another raider came around the corner past the doors the drug addict had busted through. The female raider wielded a knife and wore a hockey mask over her face.

Lloyd and Jericho both aimed at her and fired. Lloyd's shot alone would've been an instant kill, and it probably was, as it hit her square in the face. Jericho pumped her torso full of more than ten bullets before taking his finger off the trigger.

"Haha! You don't get much more dead than that!" he cried. Behind them, Amata grimly swallowed her nervousness.

"Let's go," Lloyd ordered, once more taking point. Silently, he reloaded his rifle as they moved through the northern doors. Russ must've heard something, as he immediately took off in front of Lloyd and turned left. Lloyd called out and ran after the dog, seeing the canine enter a doorway and run up some concrete steps. As the three of them tried to keep up, they heard gunshots from above.

Except for Jericho, who hung back to shoot at a raider who had suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway with lockers. As Amata ran up behind Lloyd, she took out a grenade and prepared herself to use it.

At the top of the stairs, Russ was tearing into a raider's leg in the doorway that led into a room. She screamed, and Lloyd quickly silenced her with a lethally accurate shot from his rifle. Russ let go as she went down, and charged into the room with Lloyd on his tail. As Lloyd charged across the hallway into the room, a raider in the hallway, concealed behind some concrete blocks fired at him with an assault rifle. He missed, instead blanketing the hallway with bullets as Lloyd quickly ducked into the room, but he exposed himself to Amata who wasted no time in lobbing the grenade, sans pin, at him. It landed right behind his cover of block.

"PINEAPPLE!" he shouted as he scrambled to get away.

It exploded, killing the raider and blowing a small hole in the floor. Below them, Jericho smiled with glee as he smashed the butt of his rifle into the face of the raider he was attacking, knocking him back. Jericho then stepped back and pumped him full of lead. He turned and ran to where he heard the explosion, finding a hole in the ceiling with a bloody arm sticking out of it. He ran up the stairs, reloading as he did so.

They quickly regrouped when Jericho and Amata entered the classroom Russ and Lloyd had run into. There was a large hole in the wall at one end, and Russ quickly disappeared into it. Lloyd followed him, exiting the classroom through a door, finding Russ attacking a raider who was quickly dispatched by Lloyd's pistol. Lloyd crouched low and reloaded his rifle once more.

Things were quiet, then. They didn't know if all of the raiders were finished or not, but regardless, they moved forward, passing under the hole long ago blasted into the wall and found themselves in a library with shelves stocked with burnt books. There didn't appear to be anything of value in this room, which disappointed Lloyd. Reading was a hobby of his in the vault, and he was saddened by the fact that all the books in this library were destroyed beyond comprehension from fire or age.

Amata opened a door in the library and quickly turned her eyes from the sight. It was a storeroom, and hanging from the ceiling on hooked chains was a dead man. It was a fresh kill, as blood freely ran and dripped onto the floor in a large, red puddle.

"Why the hell would they do this!" she said, backing off. She felt like she was going to vomit. Lloyd caught her in his arms.

"Hey, hey," he said, trying to calm her. "You alright?"

"I'm... I'll just never get used to seeing things like that."

"Yeah... I know. Just turn away, I'm going to see if that storeroom has anything useful in it. "Jericho?" he turned to the raider. "Don't let anything sneak up on us."

Lloyd entered the room, taking care to avoid the blood, but eventually couldn't avoid stepping in it. 'Gonna leave red footprints all over,' he thought, and smiled. His smile faded when he realized how dark that joke really was.

The raiders had stocked some stimpaks and water in some metal boxes. Inside some more Lloyd found a few bottles of pills, labeled "Original Buffout," and a small tin container labeled "Med-Tek Mentats." Deciding that they'd all perhaps be useful at some point, maybe even just to trade with, he slipped them into his backpack.

There was also a stockpile of what Lloyd guessed were drugs, most likely Psycho and Jet. Psycho looking like a modified syringe filled with a strange liquid, and Jet was a red canister with some kind of breathing apparatus with a small mechanism for the user to release the drug and breathe it in. He took the drugs and put them in a different compartment in his pack, so that he could sell them later. If they were as addictive as Jericho said they were, then maybe Lloyd could turn a profit out of them.

He rejoined the others to discover that Russ was facing a set of double doors and growling fiercely. On the other side of the doors, a similar growling sound could be heard.

"Another dog?" Lloyd said aloud, which caused the dog on the other side to begin barking and clawing at the door. Russ began to do the same.

"Pull your fucking dog back kid," Jericho said, aiming his rifle. "We're about to hush up a puppy."

Lloyd beckoned Russ over, who dutifully backed up from the door. Jericho let loose with his rifle, blasting the doors, causing splinters and dust to fly into the air. A moment later left Jericho's rifle out of ammo, a problem he quickly solved by reloading.

Lloyd stepped forward and tried to open the door, finding it locked. He kicked at the center of the doors, forcing them open and destroying the lock. Beyond the doors was a dead dog, which Jericho chuckled at.

They entered the hallway beyond, only to be shot at by a raider wielding two Chinese pistols in her hands. Reacting quickly, Lloyd ducked, turned and shot, but missed. Amata, with her pistol, did not. The raider fell back, clutching the rapidly bleeding wound in her chest. As she fell to her knees, she looked up at Lloyd with wide, surprised eyes and said, "But we were so close to... the..."

She fell over, very much dead.

Amata approached, looking at the dead woman. "What did she mean?" Amata asked. Lloyd could only shake his head, having no idea what the raider could have meant.

In the same hallway, right by the doors Jericho had shot through to kill the dog on the other side, was a desk with a working computer terminal on it. Lloyd's curiosity was suddenly piqued, and he got down on his knees in front of the desk, as there was no chair. Imbedded in the wooden desktop was a switchblade, which Lloyd picked up, folded and put into his pocket.

"Is that thing working?" Amata asked, referring to the computer. Up until now, any computers they had passed in previous rooms had all been destroyed well beyond repair. Then she noticed that there was a bloody skull placed atop the terminal. Lloyd noticed it then as well, and he used the butt of his rifle to knock it down the hallway. "Disgusting..." Amata muttered.

Jericho shook his head, growing impatient. "If you don't mind, kid, there's still some motherfuckers in here begging to die," he said, holding up his rifle. "With your permission, vault boy?"

"Yeah, go kill'em all, have fun," Lloyd said, almost detached as he booted up the terminal's power. "Take Russ with you, he'll sniff them out."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on ya fuckin' mutt, let's go," Jericho said. With bidding from Lloyd, Russ followed the grizzled raider down a flight of stairs.

When they were alone, Amata spoke up.

"I don't like having that guy around. He's too much like the raiders."

"Yeah, I know," he replied, turning back to look at her. He took off his helmet and goggles and locked gazes with her. "It's only temporary, I promise you. He's going to lead us to D.C. tomorrow morning, to Galaxy News Radio, and then that'll be it."

She nodded. Next to the desk was a mattress, a relatively clean one, which she sat down on and slid off her backpack and stormchaser hat. "Want some food?" she asked, pulling out some potato crisps.

"Not too hungry."

They sat in silence for a moment. "Lloyd?" Amata spoke up. "Can I ask you something?"

He looked over at her. "Yeah?"

"Why are we here?"

Lloyd took a moment to think her question through. "The school? Or the wasteland?"

"The school. I know the answer to the other one. It's just... I feel like we didn't have to come here. I don't know... I just..."

"These raiders attacked Megaton."

"I know, but..."

"They killed innocent people, and shot Maggie in the leg."

Amata was silent, but Lloyd continued.

"They string up their own men and wandering wastelanders with hooked chains and decorate their walls with blood and bodies. These people don't deserve to live."

"We're not vigilantes, Lloyd. At least, that's not why we came out here."

Lloyd turned back to the screen. "I can't regret killing these people. They made their choices. We made ours."

Amata curled up, pressing her back to the wall and hugging her knees.

"If you say so..."

Lloyd looked at her and got up and sat down next to her, putting his arm around her and gently rubbing her shoulder. "Amata..." he tried to find the right words, but it wasn't easy. "I don't consider myself a vigilante, but these people..." his voice trailed off. "There's a lot wrong with this wasteland, Amata... and there's a lot of good people just trying to survive. I know we did the right thing by stopping these raiders. I just know it. There's got to be a balancing factor out here, you know? I'm not saying it's up to us to rid the world of evil or anything, but if we didn't take the risk to stop these raiders, who else would?"

She was silent. Eventually, she spoke, "There's meaning here to justify the risk. I can see that, I honestly can. I'm just worried that if we take too many risks, we're going to end up dead." She looked deeply into his eyes. "All it takes is one lucky shot from a raider and one of us is gone."

Lloyd knew she was right. There wasn't any way to deny that. "I guess… all we can do is try to shoot them first."

Amata realized how futile it was to try to deny the fact that fighting and killing raiders was unavoidable, and hugged him back. They rocked back and forth a few moments, supporting each other. "I love you, Lloyd," she said as she buried her face in his neck. He stroked her back and smiled.

"I love you too, Amata." Somewhere below, they could here Jericho engaging the raiders. Gunshots and Russ barking filled the lower levels.

Suddenly the terminal beeped and made a few clicking sounds, indicating it was now on. Lloyd moved in front of it. "Username... 'Suck Me Hahaha.'" He looked over at Amata. "Real sense of humor in these raiders, huh?" In spite of herself, Amata couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculous login.

Lloyd began to read aloud. "Entry #1: Boppo died like a bitch. He didn't have half a bad idea, setting up here. We had a good thing going, picking off caravans and traders on their way into Megaton. He was stupid to try and raid the town. Dumbass deserved the bullet Simms put in his head."

"This must've been recent," Amata commented. "Talking about raiding Megaton?"

Lloyd agreed with her assessment, and continued reading the entry.

"Anyway, there's sweeter water to be had here. That damn Vault's what we should be trying to get into, not that rag-ass town. If we can get in there, ain't none of us going to want again for the rest of our lives."

Lloyd looked up from the green computer screen and into Amata's eyes.

"They were trying to get into Vault 101..."

She could only nod in response, with her mouth slightly agape. Lloyd opened up the next entry. Amata sat back, digesting this latest revelation. These raiders were attempting to dig their way into the vault... their vault! Where her father still remained... She was reminded of the bounty hunter the Overseer had hired and sent out to capture her and kill Lloyd. She wondered what else he was doing at this moment, or if she would ever see him again. She hoped she would, under better circumstances.

"Listen to this," he said, starting to read the next entry. "Some of the scabs got tired of digging the tunnel and started using mines to get into the caves. Not a half bad idea, the explosions damn near knocked the building apart. We got a new window or two on the side of the building. Haha. I'm going to have some of the boys knock over a caravan for more explosives, but we'll have to use fewer in the blasts, or some assholes from Megaton will come looking."

"There any more after that?" she asked.

"One." He cleared his throat. "Hit a goddamned hive of ants in the tunnel. Bastards ate seven of our best diggers before we could lock off the way in. Need to find some way to poison them so we can keep digging and blast into that Vault. If we don't get there soon, I think I'm going to end up like Boppo, except it won't be the Sheriff popping me, it's gonna be my own men."

With nothing else on the terminal, he turned it off. "They were going to attack the vault and kill everyone inside..." Amata breathed, still unbelieving of the truth of it all.

"I'm not going to say that I told you so, because then I'd be pretty big jerk," Lloyd said as he looked at Amata. "But I knew we did the right thing, and now I know for sure."

"Yeah. Justice..." she said and then repeated herself. "Justice..."

She couldn't ignore the righteous feeling that word brought her. She pictured the raiders that they had killed today breaking into the vault and found herself agreeing with Lloyd, this time with no hesitation.

* * *

They never entered the basement area of the school, though they could hear the loud scratching sounds of the giant ants on the other side of the locked door. Having completed wiping out all the raiders, they commenced searching and stripping the dead bodies of all useful items, weapons and ammunitions shortly thereafter, and then disposal of the bodies. Jericho was happy to do most of the dirty work, piling up all the raiders in the back and lighting them all on fire.

He even found a couple packs of cigarettes, which he referred to as, "The best thing that happened today."

Lloyd and Amata curled up on the mattress they found in an isolated corner and sleep soon overtook them, with Russ curled up not too far away. Jericho found a more isolated spot to sleep, as the sight of the two vault dwellers embraced in sweet sleep made him sick.

In that very night, Raven Rock's giant steel doors slid open and Enclave troopers, clad head-to-toe in advanced power armor, marched out. They were quickly separated and the individuals began trekking into the wasteland. Augustus Autumn personally watched the first wave scouts move forward.

The goal of the scouts was to capture James Freeman, whom had gone missing, disappearing from the surveillance of the Enclave's network of eyebots and spies. These scouts were under Autumn's personal authority; the President didn't even know that they were being deployed. In the Colonel's opinion, Eden was moving too slow. This opportunity they had discovered would only present itself for a short time, and Autumn wasn't going to wait for this chance.

With his blessing, the scouts left Raven Rock with only one distinguishing character trait of their target on their mind: anyone with a yellow "101" on their back.

The hunt was on.

* * *

Lloyd sat up in bed the next morning, stretching the pain out of his joints and back that came from sleeping on the uncomfortable mattress. As he did so, Amata awoke and looked up at him. His left arm was still bandaged in two places from the two gunshots he had sustained during two of their combat encounters with raiders. She reached up and ran her hand gently along the bandages. He turned to look down at her.

"Hey, good morning," he said.

"Morning," she replied rather groggily, her eyes adjusting to the light that streamed in through small cracks in the ceiling. She checked her Pip-Boy. "It's pretty early."

"Six o'clock," Lloyd confirmed. "A good time to get moving."

Near them, Russ stirred and rose, yawning and licking his lips. Lloyd beckoned him over and the two vault dwellers petted and played with their dog, who was content to simply have the attention.

Jericho walked up the stairs of Springvale Elementary, finding Lloyd and Amata equipping themselves, checking their weapons and strapping on the harnesses and belts that armored their jumpsuits. Sliding on their backpacks and headgear, they set out and exited the school with Jericho leading the way.

"We gotta go east. There's a bridge to cross the river that's still standing," Jericho said, pausing occasionally to take a drag on a cigarette. "We'll probably only get halfway there by nightfall. We'll need to find some place to tuck in for the night when it comes down to it."

"Projected, how long will it take us to reach Galaxy News Radio?" Lloyd asked.

"Tomorrow evening, maybe. I don't know. Just walk."

They continued east. Jericho informed them that the bridge wasn't far away from the Super-Duper Mart.

Not far away from them, they were being viewed through a zoom-in function built into the Enclave soldier's power helmet. He saw the yellow "101" symbols on their backs. He pressed a button near his ear, activating a radio signal.

"I have sighted the target; he is accompanied by two companions and single canine. They are armed. Awaiting orders." A moment later, the order was received: attack companions, capture Freeman.

The four of them were startled when red flashes of energy were fired at them. The Enclave soldier charged down a nearby hill, wielding a laser rifle. He targeted Jericho, firing a bright red beam which could be witnessed for only a moment at the former raider's leg. Jericho shouted and fell down, clutching the burning wound.

Lloyd took out his rifle and fired at the strange man in the plate armor until. But the bullets seemed to bounce clear off of his all-encompassing armor, and he was completely unaffected. Undaunted by Lloyd's attack, the figure advanced, his black power armor and the yellow eyes of his helmet making him look rather intimidating.

The attacker raised his rifle and aimed at Amata. The gun fired, but missed; its blast soaring across the wastes due to Russ, who had ran to his side to flank him. The dog leapt up and wrapped his jaw around the laser rifle's barrel, causing the shot to miss by a wide margin.

The Enclave soldier struggled against the canine's grip on his weapon before letting go, deciding instead to reach for his sidearm. But once more was he unsuccessful, as Lloyd tackled the man, throwing his entire weight against the power armored soldier. Lloyd was now atop the man, and realized he was out of ideas. He tried to strangle the man, but his armor's collar was stronger than his grip.

The soldier punched Lloyd in the chest, knocking him off. Amata prepped a grenade and shouted, "Lloyd! Move!"

Lloyd rolled away and Russ took off running in the opposite direction as the grenade landed between the soldier's legs. Behind his mask, his eyes widened and he scrambled backwards, but was too late. Both Lloyd and Amata had their ears covered, and the resulting explosion showered Lloyd with dirt.

And then all was silent. As the smoke cleared, Lloyd spoke first.

"Who the hell was that?" he said. He heard a groan from Jericho as he got up, dusting off his leg and inspecting the scorch mark. "You alright, Jericho?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine. It's nothing." Still, Lloyd tossed him a stimpak.

Amata went over to the armored man's body, where Russ approached and sat nearby, sniffing. The soldier's right leg was separated from the rest of his body, the power armor in that section torn to pieces, with metal plating and circuitry sticking out.

"Who was this guy?" she wondered aloud. Lloyd walked up to her.

"Let's find out."

He knelt down and began unhooking various tubes and hooks, completely disconnecting the helmet through trial and error, trying to figure out how to take it off. He took it off and threw it aside, causing it to roll and stop among some rocks. The man was Caucasian, cleanly shaved and somewhat pale.

"He's nobody… At least, nobody we know, I mean," Lloyd said.

"Why'd he attack us?" Amata wondered.

"Fucker's wearing power armor I've never seen before," Jericho said, walking up to the pair. They turned to regard him.

"Power armor?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, power armor. Big, thick metal armor; supposed to enhance strength and speed and whatever. Brotherhood of Steel's crazy about the stuff, they all wear it."

"Any use to us?" Lloyd asked.

"Nah, you gotta have some kinda special knowhow in order to wear it. Rumor is that only the Brotherhood trains people to wear the stuff." He took a drag on his cigarette. "Look, the crazy fuck's dead and we ain't. Let's get going."

"Wait," Lloyd said, stopping the others. He went to pick up the helmet of their attacker. "Maybe someone can identify this. Give us an idea of who this guy is or why he attacked us." Amata walked over and helped Lloyd pack it into his backpack.

Jericho was getting impatient. "Yeah, yeah, let's go already."

With nothing more to say or do, they continued on, though the mystery of the man in strange power armor lingered in Lloyd and Amata's minds. Lloyd took one final look back at their most recent kill, and wondered who he was, where he had come from, and why he had attacked them.

He would have those questions answered soon enough.

* * *

Since their attack, the walk was uneventful until they reached the bridge that crossed the Potomac River. Halfway across, Amata looked out over the river and saw movement.

"Hey, look!" she said, pointing. Jericho and Lloyd turned to see what she had spied. In the center of the river, swimming, were a few bulky, humanoid figures. Their hides were thick and plated, with a faint green coloration. Shortly thereafter, they disappeared under the surface.

"What were those?" Lloyd asked.

"Mirelurks," Jericho said. "Big, ugly crab people."

"Crab people?" Amata asked.

"Yeah. They don't go far from the water, so as long as you don't go out for a swim, you'll be fine." Jericho paused to flick the cigarette butt over the edge of the bridge and into the water.

"Are they dangerous?" Amata asked.

"Hah! You bet your fuckin' ass they're dangerous, princess. They've got claws the size of your head and their armor is as thick as metal." Amata was obviously offended by his comment, but he laughed and continued down the bridge. Lloyd grabbed her arm and squeezed gently, keeping her from responding.

"Only temporary," he reassured her. She sighed and nodded.

At the end of the bridge, Lloyd paused and picked up an empty Nuka-Cola bottle from a pile of garbage. He was making a habit to keep these bottles and fill them with water for later use.

Following the road that led off of the bridge, they encountered two raiders on the road uphill, who noticed them and scrambled for their nearby weapons. They were quickly dealt with; Jericho took out the first, and Lloyd dealt with the second. As they stripped the bodies, Amata heard a strange noise from her left that made her jump. She pulled out her pistol and aimed, seeing that an iguana had made the noise. She sighed, lowered her weapon and looked at the reptile. It didn't seem relatively large, as far as other animals they had seen in the wasteland had grown, but it looked a little sickly. It croaked again before moving on down the road.

One of the raiders that Lloyd took out with his sniper rifle was wielding a shotgun. Lloyd commandeered it from the dead man and examined it. It resembled a rifle, only with a pump and a circular drum magazine at the end. He offered it to Jericho, who denied it, saying, "I like my gun already, thank you very much." Lloyd placed the weapon onto his pack, strapping it into place alongside his hunting rifle.

They passed under a destroyed bridge, carefully avoiding its debris, and they noticed that the number of ruined buildings around them was increasing. Lloyd knew they were entering the outskirts of D.C. Soon enough they reached Farragut West Metro Station, their destination. Jericho informed them that they'd be able to travel through a series of old metro train tunnels and junctions.

"Right through here, kid," Jericho said, right before something to his immediate left caught his eye. He suddenly jerked and shouted, "Fuck!" before taking cover in the entrance stairway to that led to the station.

"What, what is it?" Lloyd asked, looking around.

"It's a fuckin' super mutant!" Jericho cried. "Dead left!"

Lloyd took out his sniper rifle and looked through the scope in the direction Jericho had indicated. Walking down the center of the street, directly towards them, was a large man. He had green skin, thick and muscular with veins running all along it. His torso was completely bare and uncovered, and his head was devoid of any hair whatsoever. He wore thick ropes wrapped around his forearms, and had a metal belt that held up tattered, worn and muddy shorts. His feet appeared to be covered in wrappings instead of shoes.

"Shoot the fucking thing!" Jericho said from behind his cover.

Lloyd aimed. The super mutant had clearly seen them, but made no move to take out a single weapon. In fact, it seemed to be completely unarmed. Its hands were empty.

"Shoot it, Lloyd," Amata said, seeing the tall humanoid figure. She vividly recalled the details that were described to her about these monsters, and what they did to people. They captured wastelanders; nobody knew why or where they took them. Behind her, Russ growled but did not move.

Lloyd aimed at the creature's head, and put his finger on the trigger.

But he didn't pull. He noticed that the super mutant stopped and held up its hands as if in surrender.

"Something's not right about this…" he muttered, putting down his rifle.

"What are you doing?" Amata asked as Lloyd approached the large green man. Jericho looked out from the station entryway, his curiosity piqued but ready to leap out and shoot at the super mutant at the first sign of danger.

Lloyd stopped some twenty feet away from the super mutant, and then, to the amazement of all assembled, it spoke.

"You… you haven't shot me yet. That's… different…"

The super mutant spoke with a hard, distinct voice that seemed like he was forcing the words out, as if the very act of speaking itself was difficult. It was jarring, and strange. His lips constantly curled away from his teeth, giving him a menacing appearance, but there was something about him that made him seem non-threatening. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself or it was a strange quality in his eyes. Whatever it was, Lloyd didn't believe he was in danger.

"Are you… That is, can you understand me?" an extremely fascinated Lloyd asked.

"Yes… I can." The super mutant walked a little closer, stopping about ten feet from Lloyd. Lloyd wasn't sure what was happening. Of all the things he had heard about the super mutants, albeit he had heard only a few things, peacefully talking with non-super mutants was not one of them. In fact, everything he had heard from Amata pointed to the super mutants mindlessly attacking any wastelanders they came across.

"Who are you?" Lloyd asked. "Do you have a name?"

"I… I call myself… Uncle Leo…" the super mutant replied.

Amata walked up directly behind Lloyd, her curiosity overriding her fear. "You… you are a super mutant, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes… indeed I am… a super mutant," the super mutant apparently named Uncle Leo replied.

"And, uh, what are you doing out here, alone and unarmed in the outskirts of D.C.?" Lloyd asked.

"I... I was driven out... by my brothers. I... I tried to understand, to get them to... listen to reason... That there's more to life... than... than fighting... and killing... But they wouldn't listen."

Lloyd and Amata exchanged looks. "You're not like other super mutants?" Lloyd asked.

"No... I'm not... I'm... different... somehow. And now I... wander the wasteland... hoping to find some... some meaning to life... before I die..." Uncle Leo's eyes closed tightly, as if in pain.

Jericho and Russ approached. Russ kept his head low, and Jericho kept his rifle out.

"Are you hungry?" Amata asked. Uncle Leo held up a large hand.

"I would... not take food... from those who need it more."

Lloyd and Amata exchanged looks. "What if we insist?" Lloyd asked. "It'd be rude to refuse."

Uncle Leo thought for a moment, and nodded. "Perhaps... inside... inside the station... is a nicer place to sit."

The five of them proceeded into the metro station, and sat in the dimly-lit entrance hall. Amata took out some food and handed it to Uncle Leo, who now sat cross-legged on the floor. Amata and Lloyd sat before him, with Russ' head in Amata's lap. Jericho lingered nearby, obviously interested in the talking and intelligent super mutant but not wanting to involve himself in the conversation.

The large, green man, though sitting, still towered over the two humans.

"So, why do you call yourself Uncle Leo?" Lloyd asked, trying to converse.

The large green man took a moment to think. "I don't know. I have, have always... called myself that. Maybe... it was my, my name before... I became..." an unusually long pause came, before he gestured to himself and finished, "...this. Or maybe I... I read it in a book a long time ago."

"What exactly do you mean, 'Before I became this?'" Amata asked.

"Maybe... you don't know where we come from... super mutants, I mean. We aren't born this way..." his voice suddenly raised, "...we are created!"

Lloyd leaned forward. "Where? Where were you... created?"

"In a cold, dark... metal place!" Uncle Leo said, holding his hands to his face. "So cold... and dark... a place of, of demons and... and evil... and the green... the horrible, horrible green..."

Uncle Leo quietly sobbed. Amata and Lloyd felt a tremendous amount of sympathy for this poor soul. Clearly, this was a painful, touchy subject. "The green?" Amata asked. "Is the green what transformed you... created you, I mean, into what you are now?"

Uncle Leo nodded, and spoke once more. "This place... this dark, awful place... is where my brothers, take their captives... where they... they have taken them... for over two hundred years... Endlessly trying to... to make more... more of... us."

Lloyd sat up. "That's why they abduct wastelanders? They take them and transform them into more super mutants?"

Again, Uncle Leo nodded. "Yes... I didn't, didn't want to... to do it, anymore... I tried to make them stop, but... they wouldn't listen... they would have... have killed me if I had not run away!"

"Your brothers sound like the super mutants we've heard about," Lloyd said. "But nobody ever knew why they abducted the people or where they took them."

"Do you remember where, exactly, you came from? Or rather where they take the prisoners?" Amata asked.

"I... don't remember... I... it was a long... long time ago since I... I left them... I am sorry."

"That's alright," Lloyd said, holding up his hand. "I'm sorry for you, Uncle Leo."

"Me too," Amata said, handing the super mutant another box of edibles. "I can't imagine how horrible it must be..." Uncle Leo looked at her. She quickly apologized.

"No... no, I understand... it is... horrible. It hurts... Sometimes I... I feel the better part of me... slipping... slipping away..." Uncle Leo cringed. "I... I do not want to be like... like my brothers..."

"Is there anything at all we can do to help?" Lloyd asked, concerned for the super mutant.

"There is... nothing that I need..." Uncle Leo replied rather simply.

Amata spoke up. "You said earlier that you were searching for meaning in your life... what did you mean by that?"

"I... I try to keep... my sanity... by reading, you see... and finding the beauty... what little of it is left... in the wasteland."

"Like what?" Amata asked. She hadn't seen anything particularly beautiful in the wasteland.

"Have you ever... ever looked at the moon at night? Such beauty... is that celestial body... so far away... so very, very far away... I will never, never touch the moon… but it is lovely… and I can dream to…"

Lloyd changed the subject. "Isn't there anywhere you can go?"

Uncle Leo shook his head and closed his eyes. "There is nowhere... that accepts... people like me."

"But you're not like the others," Lloyd asserted. "You're civilized, clearly. You read! Anyone that reads is clearly intelligent enough to know not to kill like... like a barbarian or something."

"Sometimes... people just... just don't understand... or want to... They're afraid of... of the unknown... After all... it's easier to just... shoot at a super mutant on sight."

"Aren't you lonely?" Amata asked.

"I... get by." Uncle Leo let out a sigh. "I get by."

"You could come with us."

Uncle Leo, Amata and Jericho all looked at Lloyd in surprise.

"Say fuckin' what?" Jericho said. Up until now, he had kept quiet.

Lloyd looked back at him. "I said-"

Uncle Leo interrupted him. "I cannot," he said.

"Why?" Lloyd looked back. "You're one of the most interesting individuals I've ever met, Uncle Leo, but you're completely unarmed and you can't fight off the monsters or raiders that inhabit the wasteland."

"I... know."

"You'd resign yourself to that kind of fate? Just waiting to die?" Amata asked.

"It is... all I can do."

"No!" Lloyd stood up. "That's not right, you can't just throw your life and all that it could be away like that!"

Uncle Leo looked at him. Because of his large size, he could still sit and look the standing Lloyd in the eyes. "This world... is not a world... made for me. I cannot... cannot simply travel with you... though I would like to. In this... I have no choice."

"You have a choice," Lloyd persisted. "You'll always have a choice."

"I... admire your words... little brother."

Lloyd cocked his head slightly. "My name is Lloyd."

"I'm Amata," she quickly put in, slightly embarrassed, as they had gone this long in conversation without properly exchanging identities.

"Little brother… little sister," Uncle Leo said, nodding in their directions respectively. "And who is this one?"

Lloyd was about to say Jericho's name when the raider spoke up. "That's none of your fuckin' business!" he shouted while pointing an accusatory finger at the super mutant. As they reacted to his sudden outburst, he stormed off into the metro and rounded a corner, moving out of sight.

"I... I'm sorry," Lloyd said, looking back at Uncle Leo.

"No... no, it is alright... I understand... but now you know, first hand... why I cannot go with you." The super mutant stood and stretched slightly. "I must go."

Lloyd looked to the super mutant, and in that moment, he wished that the poor soul could come with them. "Uncle Leo," he spoke, "I'm searching for my father. He abandoned me and forced me to travel outside my vault with Amata. When I find him, I'm going to find out why. It is my quest."

"You have... quite the tale... an amazing sojourn awaits you, this I know..." Uncle Leo said.

"I felt you had a right to know a few things about us in turn," Lloyd said. "When this is over, and given that we are still alive... I hope we'll run into each other again."

"I would like that... little brother," Uncle Leo said. "I would."

Lloyd held out his hand to shake. The super mutant gently took Lloyd hand into his own and shook it, surprising Lloyd with how slow and careful his movements were. Lloyd understood why; Leo's hands could fit around Lloyd's head and crush it like a grape. In that moment of connection, with Lloyd's hand inside the large green palm of Leo's, he realized just how different they really were; perhaps not in spirit, but entirely in form. After a moment, their hands dropped. Amata stepped forwards and similarly shook the super mutant's hand.

With that, the super mutant turned and left the station, walking back out into the sunlight. Lloyd watched him go, and when he felt Amata tug his arm, he looked at her.

"We should go find Jericho, Lloyd," Amata said.

He nodded. "I feel sorry for him."

"Jericho or Leo?" Amata asked.

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Both, actually."

Lloyd, Amata and Russ quickly walked through the station's halls, finding Jericho in an office, searching through desks. "I'm outta fuckin' cigarettes," he muttered when he saw them approaching.

"I hope you have a better reason than that for flipping out on Uncle Leo," Lloyd said. "Let's talk about it."

Jericho whipped around. "Now you listen to me you little fuck," he said, shouting the last word out, "I don't answer to you about how I act or what I do. You hired me? Fine. I'll take you to where you wanna go, but don't expect me to just follow you blindly like your fuckin' dog."

Lloyd stepped forward and stared Jericho right in the eyes. "I don't think I like your tone, Jericho."

Jericho chuckled. "You serious? You really wanna do this?"

Lloyd didn't move. Neither did Jericho. Not far away, Russ growled and Amata's hand gripped the hilt of her sword.

Jericho blinked. "Alright kid, you win. But after this? After I get you to Galaxy News? That's fuckin' it. I don't care how many fuckin' things I'll get to shoot between here and there, I'm not sticking around you. Us? We two? We're completely different people. You? You're nothing but a pampered little vault asshole born with a silver stick up his ass. Me? I'm a natural born badass."

"Jericho?" Lloyd said, stepping closer. "Shut the fuck up and lead the way."

"Fuckin' vault assholes..." the raider muttered, pushing past Lloyd. Amata stepped back as Jericho walked by her. "We got a ways to go yet," Jericho called back. "Hurry the fuck up."

Lloyd stood there and watched the man go. Amata finally let out a calming breath. She had thought that, for a moment, things were going to turn very ugly. She was glad it hadn't. She took hold of Lloyd's hand and gave it a reaffirming squeeze, and from the look in his eyes, she knew he had been worried about the same thing.

* * *

The subway tunnels turned out to be a notoriously dangerous place to trek. Infested with bloodthirsty raiders, crazed super mutants and feral, zombie-like ghouls, all surrounded by darkness with barely any light, the tunnels took a much longer time to pass through than they had originally anticipated. Many of the tunnels were blocked off by debris and crashed pre-war trains, making passage extraordinarily difficult.

Within a junction tunnel not far from the entrance, the four of them soon found themselves battling groups of feral ghouls, who tore and slashed at prey with wicked clawed hands. Lloyd and Amata both felt sorrow for them, and for the super mutants they encountered, for they now knew that both ghouls and the super mutants were once normal people, non-mutated humans that the two of them knew did not deserve this grim fate. The super mutants were tough and filled with rage, attacking with abandon with anything they could get their hands on; blanks, pipes and scavenged guns.

Lloyd noted that the super mutants tended to wear armor made from scrap metal, and their aim wasn't very good. Their larger hands seemed to be unwieldy for normal-sized guns. A super mutant armed with a melee weapon, however, was a more dangerous opponent; smashing, breaking and wrecking all in its path until it was put down. Lloyd and Amata took it upon themselves to study their enemies, and they both noted that the super mutants, while physically very impressive, weren't any more impervious to gunfire than normal humans were. A good, solid shot to the head would still put them down.

Feral ghouls, however, seemed to only go down permanently with a shot to the skull. The mindless, moaning, skinless, white-eyed mutated humans seemed to feel no pain and knew no fear, so far-gone was their mind. Their withered, emaciated-looking forms, clad only in rags and garbage clothing, painted a grim visage of a zombie. Occasionally, they were without limbs, and many of them had mouths with only half of their teeth, but on yet they charged, hissing, gasping and moaning. But there were fragile, and many of them went down with only one bullet.

Or so they thought. While Jericho moved ahead to deal with another group of the ferals, a ghoul that Lloyd had shot, and presumed dead, suddenly got up and tackled Amata to the ground. She shouted, and Lloyd quickly ran over and kicked the figure off of her, placed his shotgun to its head and pulled the trigger just as its glossy eyes set upon him and it moaned again. In the place of the ghoul's head was now a splatter of brain, blood and skull.

"Get up from that," Lloyd said. Behind him, Amata stood up and thanked him, before pulling out her pistol and spending one extra bullet on each of the ghouls they had put down.

"Just to be safe," she said.

They were inside another receiving platform, with broken escalators leading up to the surface. The surface exits, however, were blocked off by debris. Jericho and Russ rejoined the two of them; the raider casually reloading and dusting blood off of his pant leg. "Gotta love ferals," he chuckled.

Jericho informed them that, on occasion, ghouls had useful items in their pockets or strapped to their belt. Because of their reluctance to touch ghoul flesh, Jericho stripped the bodies of ammunition, caps and other useful items.

"You know, kid, you're going to have to get used to life out here, and this is part of it," Jericho said, picking up some shotgun shells from a pack on a ghoul's body. He gathered them up and tossed them to Lloyd, who was the only one of them with a working shotgun. As Jericho stood, he added, "It ain't pretty, it ain't clean, and hell, it's half the fun."

Towards the end of the station, raiders became more frequent. A large group of them, ten in total, had held themselves up in a large subterranean cavern that connected to the train station from a maintenance tunnel Jericho led them down.

The raiders had commandeered a working turret defense system, which gave the four them some trouble. They were unable to get closer from their position, but the raiders were reluctant to advance towards them, due to Jericho gunning down the first two that neared their defensive position.

Amata took another grenade from Lloyd and primed it before tossing it. It landed near the computer that the raiders used to control the turret, its explosion utterly destroying it, deactivating the turret. Lloyd and Jericho took advantage of the confusion caused by the grenade to move forward and fire upon the raiders as Amata held Russ back. Lloyd's good aim, combined with Jericho's nearly reckless firing, took out the remaining raiders.

As they searched the corpse, they found two 10mm submachine pistols, which were quickly taken by Lloyd and Amata..

It was dark by then, though being underground, they only knew it because of their Pip-Boy's clocks. They settled in for the night in the tunnels in the late raider's camp after securing any ammunition, food and medical supplies they could find. While there wasn't much, it was enough to replace any of the bullets they had spent since the morning. As like the night before, Lloyd and Amata got comfortable in each other's arms while Russ laid not too far away and Jericho left them for a more suitable (and solitary) resting place of his own.

The very next morning, they reached their destination.

* * *

They stepped out of the station and into sunlight. Lloyd readjusted his goggles and Amata similarly fidgeted with her stormchaser hat. "Alright. This is Chevy Chase, we're not far," Jericho said as they walked into a concrete area with dead trees that once served as decorations. They were in the heart of the D.C. ruins now, surrounded by destroyed buildings and wrecked vehicles. Jericho pointed in their intended direction.

"This place is massive," Amata said. Lloyd agreed. Russ whined a bit as he looked around them. "What's wrong, boy?" Amata asked, kneeling down to pet him. She stared into his heterochromatic eyes, feeling the same trepidation about the area that he did. "It's okay, Russ. We'll be out of here soon."

"It must have really been something before the Great War," Lloyd remarked on their surroundings. He could hear gunshots off in the distance. "Sounds like they're coming from where we're going," he observed.

"Yeah, it does... come on," Jericho said, moving forward. The three of them quickly took up following him.

Then they heard the horrible, cackling laughter. "Humans! Found you!" one of the super mutants cried as they rounded a corner in front of them. There were five of them and they each raised their weapons and aimed.

They never got the chance. A sudden barrage of laser blasts and bullets overtook them, quickly decimating them all as the four of them took cover. Their surprise was matched only by their relief at the dead super mutants.

They heard a female voice call out from some kind of speaker, "Haha, you ugly bastards! That's how we do it in the Lyons' Pride!"

And then another voice in reply to the first spoke up, also muffled by a speaker, "Reddin, shut your mouth and get back into formation, now."

They stuck their heads out of cover to see who was speaking. A group of fully-armored figures appeared not too far away, revealing themselves as their saviors. Lloyd and Amata noticed how extremely similar the armor they wore resembled the rude figures they had encountered on their way to minefield. But whereas theirs was painted black and red, these soldiers wore armor of metallic steel. They remembered their earlier encounter with the strange soldier in power armor, but his was considerably different from theirs, especially when it came to the helmets.

Lloyd and Amata both realized that these figures, and the ones they had seen two days ago, were wearing power armor. Lloyd stepped out from cover and dared to walk towards their armored rescuers with the others quickly moving behind him. There were three figures in armor. The leader, at least Lloyd presumed it to be the leader, stepped forward and took off his helmet. Or rather, her helmet.

Lloyd stopped dead in his tracks as his gaze met hers. She stood tall, nearly as tall as himself, with tanned skin and blonde hair pulled back to keep it out of her face, much like Amata often did. Her face was almost stunning, with sharp eyes among other defining characteristics. They could only see her head, as the rest of her body was completely concealed by the thick power armor she wore. She seemed slightly older than the two vault dwellers.

She spoke. "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you people are, but you shouldn't be here. The super mutants have overrun our position and are closing in on the Galaxy News Radio building."

"Galaxy News!" Lloyd said. "That's where we're headed!"

She didn't show any apparent interest in his comment. "If you know how to shoot, maybe you can help us. You can tag along, behind us, if you'd really like. Just try not to do something... stupid."

Amata was rather put off by the rudeness of that last comment, but she didn't think that it was nearly as bad as the ones they had encountered earlier that week, and certainly not as bad as the lone power armor-clad figure who had attacked them. Lloyd seemingly ignored the comment and spoke up again.

"Thanks for the assist," Lloyd said, looking back at the slaughtered super mutants. "We never really realized how dangerous it would be up here."

Her eyebrows raised. "Have you been living under a rock?"

"Uh... yeah," Lloyd and Amata both said in unison.

"What?" she asked.

"We're from a vault," Lloyd clarified.

"Really?" She looked at their jumpsuits. "Fascinating. Well, this isn't a vault. This is D.C., and the entire city is crawling with super mutants," she explained. "There's no better example than the force that's trying to overtake Galaxy News right now."

"You keep mentioning Galaxy News. What does it matter to you?" Lloyd asked.

"There aren't a lot of safe places in the ruins right now, but Galaxy News Radio is sort of our port in the storm. Unfortunately, super mutants have been hitting the building really hard lately, so if there are no more questions we really need to move out."

"Wait, I'm sorry, but who are you?" Amata asked.

She held her laser rifle up and stood straight. "The name's Sarah Lyons, Sentinel of the Brotherhood of Steel and squad commander of the Lyons' Pride. We do our best to keep the ruins clean of super mutants, but that gets a little bit difficult when civilians are involved, doesn't it?"

"We're getting to Galaxy News Radio no matter what gets in our way," Lloyd said. "I'm searching for my father, and I know he's been here."

Sarah looked Lloyd and Amata up and down, taking special note of their jumpsuits. "Just who are you two, anyway?"

"Lloyd Freeman," he answered.

"Amata Almodovar."

"Your mother," Jericho said, smiling at his own joke. Sarah shot a nasty look at the former raider.

"I suppose I can't talk you out of this," she said as she looked back to Lloyd. "Just stay behind us and keep your head down. If you see any big, green uglies headed your way, try shooting. I hope you know how a gun works."

They moved through a tunnel of concrete, rounding two corners. They passed a dead Brotherhood of Steel member, respectfully placed on a mattress with his hands on his stomach, holding onto his helmet.

They heard a loud, piecing cry as a super mutant charged at them from the opening of the tunnel. A single blast from a sniper rifle carried by a Brother ended his charge.

"What's the situation, Colvin?" Sarah asked. Lloyd noticed that she had not put her helmet back on.

"All clear, Sentinel. Five mutants released from their torment, the rest are keeping their heads down." He turned around. "New recruits?" he asked, noticing Lloyd and Amata.

"Just some civilians who blundered into the uglies on forty-seventh," she answered quickly.

Colvin turned to face them. "Welcome!" he warmly greeted, giving them a small wave. Though they couldn't see his face behind the helmet he wore, he had given them a smile.

Sarah turned to face the rest of the assembled soldiers. "It's the usual drill. Reddin, you just do whatever Paladin Vargas tells you to do and keep your mouth shut."

The female soldier quickly replied, "Yes ma'am."

Lloyd took out his hunting rifle, Amata her new submachine gun and Jericho his assault rifle. The various Knights and Paladins of the Brotherhood charged out, quickly and efficiently killing any opposing super mutants. Lloyd and his friends were right behind them; dealing out their own brand of death to whatever super mutants presented themselves.

They moved as a large group across a torn-up street, into a ruined building the super mutants were occupying. Working with the Lyons' Pride, they eliminated all the super mutants inside; their skills in dealing with the super mutants were satisfactory, almost impressive, to Sarah, though she wouldn't admit it. She split the Pride into separate groups, instructing them that just outside this building was Galaxy News Radio's courtyard. One group would remain here in the building, providing suppressive fire from the second story while she would lead the ground assault force personally.

Lloyd felt exhilarated, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he charged out alongside Sarah and Jericho to battle the super mutant horde. While Jericho rushed out alongside Lloyd, Amata stayed back and kept Russ with her. She wasn't about to run into the hail of bullets that was being sprayed in the large plaza.

She watched as Lloyd battled the super mutants, taking cover and firing at them with his hunting rifle. Jericho was going wild, spraying them with automatic fire from his rifle. The Lyons' Pride met up with the remaining Brotherhood soldiers defending the GNR building. Their presence inspired the troops, for they knew that the best of the Brotherhood was now fighting alongside them.

With excellent teamwork and tactics, the Lyons' Pride soon wiped out all the super mutants in the area.

"Hahaha!" Jericho cried, pumping his rifle's last few rounds into a super mutant lying beside the road. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Amata walked out to join Lloyd, who was reloading his rifle. "Lloyd, maybe next time we shouldn't just rush out like we did. After all, these guys have power armor; we don't."

"The super mutants aim at them for that very reason," Lloyd said. "They're shinier. I think they have very short attention spans. They look to what's shiniest."

Amata shook her head. "They had guns, Lloyd. Big guns."

"The Brotherhood of Steel has good soldiers. I know that now, firsthand. They're the good guys, Amata. I don't know about any of the groups or individuals we met before who wore power armor, but I don't think they weren't part of the Brotherhood."

She sighed. "I just don't like being shot at."

"What, and I do?" he joked. She didn't share his mirth. He took a steadying breath. "Alright. Look, the battle's done, the adrenaline's gone and we're fine," he smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "We made it, that's the important thing. There is nothing, and I mean nothing but nothing between me and my father."

"If he's even in the building," she said, rather dourly.

"Optimism, please," Lloyd said. He was clearly still in a good mood from the rush of battle. He looked up at the large building with the GNR logo. It was located beneath a large, metal radio tower. "This is it."

Not far away from them, Paladin Vargas was scolding Reddin, the brash new recruit, for wasting ammo. She seemed to take it in stride, boasting that the Lyons' Pride needed her. Lloyd didn't hear much more, but Vargas was instructing her on something. She quickly nodded and ran off towards a group of buses, presumably to check the perimeter.

"Come on Lloyd, let's get inside," Amata urged.

Jericho approached them. "Hey, kid, I'm done here," he began, then paused. "Anyone else hear that?"

Lloyd looked at him. "Hear what?" he asked.

Jericho had stopped in his tracks. "Fuckin' listen…" he replied, holding a hand up to his ear.

Both he and Amata heard something this time. Russ whined a little. "I heard that," Amata said. Lloyd took off his helmet and listened intently.

Just then, they heard a jarring, crashing noise that rang out across the square, startling everyone. Another series of banging noises was heard, like metal tearing and smashing against each other, followed by a low, yet terribly booming primal roar. It seemed to be coming from the direction where the buses were stacked. The members of the Brotherhood began running around screaming warnings of, "Behemoth incoming!"

Time seemed to slow down for Lloyd. He watched the buses explode in a cataclysm of fire and wreckage as the most massive yet horrifying creature he had ever witnessed broke through them, swinging a massive metal cudgel that was capped with a fire hydrant. It was a super mutant, but unlike any Lloyd or Amata had heard about or could have imagined. It was massive, positively massive, standing well over fifteen feet tall. Its skin was mottled and green, with veins as thick as a human arm running all over it. Its face was twisted with rage, its lips shriveled and pulled back to reveal its yellow teeth and bloody gums. Its eyes were a pale white, and its nose was simply gone. In its place were two large nostrils. It didn't even seem to have a neck, so thick were the muscles of its shoulders that its head just seemed to sprout out from its torso. It was hunched over, leading with its head as it charged, moving unbelievably quick despite its size, its feet smashing debris as it moved.

It wore clothing, large wraps of leather and cloth secured by metal scrap and chains. Its feet were massive, large enough to crush a man. In one hand it carried the massive pole that served as its weapon. It appeared to be a large section of thick, reinforced lead pipe with a fire hydrant welded to the end of it. On its other arm it wore a car door, seemingly serving as a shield, but it was so small compared to the rest of it that it seemed impractical. From its neck and belt hung a rope lined with human skulls; trophies claimed by the monster.

In once swift, devastating move, it smashed through the buses and swung at the surprised and horrified Reddin, who took the full force of the blunt object. Lloyd could imagine hearing every bone in her body crack. She flew away from the monster like a ragdoll. The behemoth roared as the debris from the buses rained down on the square, all around the wide-eyed Lloyd and Amata.

The behemoth went on the offensive. It raised a boot and crushed a knight beneath his boot. He swung at the building Colvin was sniping from, smashing the concrete and possibly killing the soldiers inside. With its shield hand, it picked up another soldier, who defiantly shot the monster in the face with his pistol as it raised him up to its mouth and bit off his head, spitting it out like a sour grape.

Lloyd watched, unable to move, as this monstrosity tore through the defense line of the Brotherhood of Steel. He was terrified, utterly and completely terrified. Nothing could have prepared him for the awe-inspiring malevolent majesty of this behemoth. To Lloyd, this creature represented the worst thing the Capital Wasteland had to offer.

And he couldn't move.

It was a similar story with Jericho, though for entirely different reasons. Lloyd and Amata had missed, or perhaps willingly ignored, Jericho's seemingly unnatural hatred towards the super mutants. His hostile reactions to Uncle Leo, his gleeful slaughter of every single mutant they had come across, his passion for wasting bullets on a dead super mutant corpse all stemmed from something very specific.

As he watched the behemoth utterly destroy half of the Lyons' Pride, visions of his childhood flashed before his eyes. His parents. His home. Growing up in a fairly normal, stable environment. Its complete, swift destruction by the super mutants. His parents capture by the hands of a behemoth, just like the one he saw now. His escape from their green grasp. Wandering the wastes, fighting to survive. Being captured by raiders. Sold into slavery. Escape. Impressing the raiders by killing his slavers. Joining them.

Everything caught up to him in that moment, every detailed memory he had suppressed by drinking, doing drugs and wantonly murdering. Becoming the worst bastard he could imagine, living the most hedonistic lifestyle he could. Leaving his woman, and his bastard son, behind without so much as a goodbye.

A tear from his one working eye slid down Jericho's cheek. He fell to his knees, motionless.

Amata was not falling into such a routine of stillness. She began tugging on Lloyd's arm, shouting, "Come on Lloyd! We have to go! We have to go now!" She looked at Jericho, seeing his shock.

The monster advanced on the entrance to Galaxy News, picking off soldiers as if they were toys. Bullets and laser blasts seemed to do nothing to it as it effortlessly tore through barricades and smashed soldiers. Amata looked left and right, still desperately pulling on Lloyd's arm. Next to them, Russ barked ceaselessly, waiting for some sign from his owners, not daring to rush at the monster.

Then, she saw it. She had only seen one in a picture Moira had shown her shortly after their return from the Super-Duper Mart. Without spending too much time thinking, she rushed over to the dead Brotherhood of Steel soldier who was lying at the foot of the GNR statue and picked up his heavy, bulky and extremely awkward weapon: the Fat Man.

She checked to see if it was already loaded. It was, and ready to be fired. The Fat Man was, at its core, simply a handheld catapult designed to launch one thing and one thing only: a miniature nuclear explosive. A mini nuke, as it were.

Amata rushed forward, hoisting up the green cannon over her shoulder and gripping the handles tightly. Her finger found the trigger. Lloyd was jolted out of his shocked state when he saw Amata running towards the behemoth with the weapon. "Amata!" he cried, running after her. Russ followed quickly behind. Jericho was still lost.

'This'll be easy, this'll be easy,' was Amata's internal, repeating reassurance. She aimed the weapon, hoisting it up and struggling against its weight and fired at the creature's side. The small, green, nuke-shaped bomb flew through the air, soaring towards its target. It impacted as soon as it hit its arm.

A wave of heat washed over everyone as a massive explosion ripped the behemoth apart, destroying its arm, shredding its torso and utterly killed it. The force of the explosion sent almost everyone to the ground. Both Lloyd and Amata fell to their backs, and Sarah Lyons was forced onto a knee.

As the gore rained down, the smoke cleared and everyone picked themselves up from the knockback of the blast, Amata laid breathing heavily. The Fat Man had dropped at her feet. In those moments, her mind had yet to catch up to her and register with that happened. And when it did, she felt the most incredible sensation wash over her. She wasn't sure what it was, exactly. Relief, thrill, joy, happiness; all of those feelings wrapped in one.

She felt Lloyd's hands on her shoulders. He turned her around slowly, trying to read her strange expression. "Amata..." he said, "...are you alright?"

In reply, she threw her arms around his neck and crushed her lips against his in a fiery, passionate kiss which surprised him, but he quickly returned it, trying to match her sudden display of love. She broke a kiss a moment later. "Holy shit, Lloyd! Did you see that?"

"I did," he said, smiling.

"I... I really got that thing!"

"You did!"

"It was amazing!"

"I know!"

They couldn't help themselves as they laughed. Lloyd's arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace and he lifted her off the ground and spun her around. In defeating the behemoth, she had done what Lloyd had foolishly thought impossible. He knew now that any challenge that faced them, no matter how large and fearsome, they could overcome it.

Provided they also had a really big gun nearby, of course.

Amata was having similar thoughts. In slaying the supermassive super mutant herself, her ego soared, effectively eliminating all feelings of self-doubt and worry, even if only temporarily. She felt like a completely new person, able to take on the whole world. Jericho blinked and could only stare helplessly at them as they celebrated.

Unfortunately, this feeling passed rather quickly when both Lloyd and Amata both heard another repetitive, impacting noise. They looked and saw something approaching from the same direction the behemoth had come from. And the cheering from the surviving Brotherhood soldiers ceased a well when they saw it as well.

If a super mutant behemoth had something it would run home to, it would be the mountain of flesh that was approaching them now. It was over thirty feet in height, and resembled the behemoth in almost every aspect save for two: its skin color had a dark red coloration, as if it were coated in blood, and its eyes glowed with a bright green. Its hands were the size of cars, every step it took sounded like a cannon blast and made the ground shake. It wasn't moving fast, but every step allowed it to clear over thirteen feet.

"Sweet dear god in heaven..." Lloyd breathlessly muttered. Amata looked up to the new monster's face, and met its gaze.

And in that moment, she knew that it was looking right at her, its hands curled into fists as its teeth gnashed together, its uncontrollable rage boiling and ready to be released.

"Lloyd, it's coming for me..." she whispered, finding herself unable to raise her voice. She gripped his arm tightly.

This new monster was everything the behemoth was and more. For this reason, and so many others, Lloyd should have been petrified.

But he wasn't. Not this time.

He reached down and picked up the Fat Man, grunting at its heavy weight. He looked to Amata. "Amata, I need you to run," he instructed.

"But what about you?" she asked, her fear rising. Around them, the soldiers began firing at the gargantuan super mutant, though they may have just as well been shooting blanks.

"I'll be running too! Just not next to you," he explained.

"I don't understa-"

"Amata, there's a super mutant the size of Texas walking towards us! We don't have the time! Go! Go! Go!" he cried as he moved, running admittedly slower due to the added weight of the Fat Man. He ran to the corpse of the Brotherhood knight which died with the Fat Man in his arms. He took a mini-nuke off of the corpse, and ran to the building that they had originally swept through earlier before cleansing the GNR plaza.

Amata didn't know where to run. Finding herself out of options, she ran towards the Galaxy News Radio building, running behind the quickly recovering and reassembling Lyons' Pride, who continued to fire at the gargantuan. She took out her SMG and fired at it as well as her heart raced with fear.

Lloyd made it to the top floor of the building, just in time to see the red-skinned mutant pass by, disregarding the small male vault dweller. Lloyd gritted his teeth, hauled the weapon up to his shoulder, aimed upwards through the exposed rooftop and fired. The nuke soared upwards, arcing slightly. It hit the beast right above his right shoulder. The mini nuke activated upon impact, exploding with the same destructive force that had torn the behemoth apart.

The monster roared, a noise that must have carried for miles, as the flesh of its shoulder burst into a ball of fire that completely severed the monster's arm from its body. Small straps of flesh still connected the limb to the mutant, which strained and snapped as it turned, scraping the side of a building. The limb fell to the concrete floor below, its meaty fingers twitching. Gallons of blood poured from the wound.

In the confusion, the monster grabbed the stump where its right arm once was and charged back in the direction it came, moving with slow strides but covering incredible distances, wailing all the way in pain, it soon vanished from sight. Its cries faded away after some time, though they carried for quite a distance.

Lloyd dropped the Fat Man at his feet and sat back, finally finding his breath. He took long, slow inhalations as he tried to steady his nerves and comprehend all that had just transpired. He looked up at the bleak, dim sky above him and couldn't help but think on all that had happened since leaving the vault, right up until this moment.

'Is this what it's going to be like? Every day, some new threat, worse than the last?'

Quite sincerely, he hoped not.

* * *

"These are the pictures taken from the cloaked eyebot, sir," the Enclave lieutenant said, handing a folder over to Autumn. He took it and opened it.

"These three and the dog killed the scout?" he asked. The lieutenant nodded. "I didn't expect much of them, but this is more than I could have hoped for."

"With all due respect, sir, what exactly do you mean by that?" the man asked.

Autumn held up a photo, one that revealed the backside of Lloyd and Amata's jumpsuits. "See? 101."

"Yes, sir, but I don't-"

"Our intelligence tells us that while working on Project Purity, James Freeman had a son. Our most recent report from our spy in Megaton tells us that a second vault dweller named Freeman came in, accompanied by a girl."

"James' son?" he asked.

"Exactly. But not only that, this," he said, holding up another document, "proves that Vault 101 has not only been compromised more than we thought, but that a bargaining chip for its control has surfaced as well."

"In what way?"

"Never you mind, lieutenant. Back to your post."

The man saluted, and promptly left the room.

Autumn was not surprised when he heard the voice of his president, John Henry Eden, speak to him through the screen opposite this desk. "We are alone now, Colonel. Your report."

Colonel cleared his throat. "Since learning of James' return to the Capital Wasteland, on a hunch I ordered a long-range scanning and intelligence-retrieval eyebot to be positioned in Springvale, the town near the entrance to the vault into which James fled. Not only did it record the sounds of these two leaving, it got some footage of them as well when they neared it. At first, they seemed little more than a curiosity. My hunch paid off, however," Autumn said, sitting behind his desk, "when a man then entered the vault later that afternoon. In the evening, he, two men we can assume to be guards and the Overseer of Vault 101 emerged. The eyebot picked up their conversation, and from it, we learned that this young woman, confirmed by another field report to be named Amata, is the daughter of the Overseer. The other man is confirmed to be a bounty hunter. The Overseer gave him instructions to retrieve his daughter and eliminate Lloyd Freeman."

"And I assume this bounty hunter has not found success?"

"We cannot confirm that. We can confirm, however, that the two guards that accompanied the Overseer, or perhaps two other Vault 101 guards, left the vault. They have not returned. As we are already stretched fairly thin, intelligence on them likely will not be gathered for some time. But this most recent report compiles direct evidence that Lloyd Freeman and his companion Amata have hired a former wasteland mercenary named Jericho to lead them into the D.C. ruins in search of his father."

The president was silent as he digested this newest information. "Then our plan of action should be clear, Colonel. We must refrain from making any bold moves against the boy until he locates his father, whose efforts to remain undetected have certainly managed to be quite successful. The boy could lead us right to him. But keep in mind, Colonel, that should James Freeman appear on our network once more, we will move to in to capture."

"I'm more than aware of that, Mr. President."

"Good. Then I'll expect another full report when the first wave scouts return to base." The screen blinked out, leaving Autumn alone. He turned to the open file and he held up the photos again, looking at Lloyd and Amata.

And planning.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	7. Things Get Much, Much Worse Than Before

Lloyd looked over. "You wondering about the circumstances that led up to what just happened?"

"No. I guess I'm trying to put together the reality of what just happened."

"Oh, I'm not saying it didn't happen. I'm just thinking about all the events that led up to you killing a super mutant behemoth and me disarming a similar, yet admittedly much larger monster the size of building."

"Disarming?" Amata chuckled. "That's a funny way of putting it."

"De-arming, perhaps?" Lloyd said. They shared a smile.

They were sitting atop the destroyed building Lloyd had shot the Fat Man mini nuke off of, which had severed the arm of what the Brotherhood of Steel members called a super mutant gargantuan. Lloyd and Amata could look out over the edge of the trashed rooftop and down into the plaza of Galaxy News Radio, the building that Lloyd knew his father had visited.

"I guess we should head down there, huh?" Lloyd said. Amata looked over at him. He was clearly trying to steady his breathing. She touched his shoulder.

"You alright?"

"Yeah... I'm just preparing myself for something I might not like. I don't know what I'll learn in there, you know?" He sighed. "I really hope dad's in there and we can end all of this."

"End?" Amata asked. Lloyd looked over at her. "What I mean is... I don't think we can just get back in the vault. With everything that happened... you killing the security guards..." Lloyd twitched at the mention of his handiwork with the vault guards. "Sorry. With everything you and I did... I don't think we can go back."

"Yeah... hell of a thing, killing somebody, isn't it?"

"It's not a good thing."

"That's for sure. It's a rotten feeling. Sometimes it makes more sense… Raiders… but other times…"

Amata understood. They didn't speak of it more, but they both shared the same feelings. "Well... at least it's mostly them or us, right?" she pointed out.

"I hope it never reaches a point where I can just kill without feeling anything about it." He stood up. "I don't know about super mutants and feral ghouls, or raiders... when I see them... I feel pity. Pity that they now live a kind of life that almost forces them to kill us."

"Raiders? What about Jericho?" Amata brought up their travelling companion, the grizzled and rough former raider.

"Yeah... raiders are a bad example. They're still human. But Jericho grew old... learned a few things. We haven't seen any old raiders; I imagine most raiders are too young to really know better."

A moment of silence occurred between the two of them. Amata broke it. "I wonder who the person that turned into the behemoth I killed was like before he transformed."

"I bet he was a nice guy. Didn't deserve this kind of fate."

"I don't think we deserved the cards we've been dealt," Amata stood up and said. "Maybe it just isn't a factor in life... whether you do or do not deserve something. Like a big house... or being turned into a super mutant."

"Wow," Lloyd chuckled, "look at us, waxing philosophical."

"It's good to talk things over with other people, Lloyd. Keeps you from going crazy." Amata stretched her arms. "I think that Fat Man might've thrown out my shoulder."

"You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine." Regardless, Lloyd moved behind her and began rubbing her shoulders.

"There's no need to..." she trailed off, laughing a little.

"You're right, though," he said, whispering into her ear. "It's good to talk."

"Knock it off," she said, brushing his hands away.

"Yeah, knock that shit off," a rough voice called out to them. They turned to see Jericho walking up the stairs.

"You taking off Jericho?" Lloyd asked. He recalled their argument earlier.

Jericho stopped a few feet away from them. "I, uh... ah, fuck. No. I'm not."

Lloyd and Amata exchanged incredulous looks. "Care to clarify?" Lloyd asked, at which Amata rolled her eyes. Lloyd often said that when they were growing up in the vault.

Jericho looked around, scratching the back of his neck. "Well it's just that I..." His voice trailed off as he spun his hand around in the air, attempting to conjure up the words to describe how he felt. Lloyd cocked an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me we've grown on you, Jericho," he smiled.

"Knock that ball right out of the park kid, 'cause that's some high-flying bullshit," Jericho retorted, pointing a finger.

"Woah, wait, wait, wait, did you seriously just use that metaphor?" asked Lloyd.

"Uh... yeah, so what?"

"Nothing it's just... it's just kinda funny," Lloyd chuckled a bit. Amata gently elbowed him in the side.

"Look, I just... I wanna stick around." Jericho spit on the ground. "And that ain't easy for me to say."

"Well, care to elaborate exactly why?" Lloyd prodded.

"No! Fuck off!" Jericho snapped back. The vault dwellers quickly stepped back a bit from the reaction.

"Woah! Okay, okay!" Lloyd said, holding up his hands. "Let's take it back a step and calm down, alright?"

Jericho scoffed. "I need some fuckin' cigs up in this joint..." he muttered, walking away to the edge of the rooftop.

When he was out of hearing distance, Amata whispered in Lloyd's ear. "Any idea what happened to him since the behemoth showed up? He locked up, just like you."

Lloyd replied, equally masking his tone. "I dunno... I kinda froze because the behemoth was just about the scariest thing I'd ever seen... But I mean, it was only for like half a minute."

"There's no need to be the macho man around me, Lloyd," she teased. He laughed a little and then continued.

"But Jericho... he's seen super mutants before... maybe he just never saw a behemoth. Which is a possibility, I admit... Plus, given the fact that he's a self-proclaimed badass former raider with days upon days of glory behind him, you'd figure that it wouldn't, I don't know, phase him like it did."

"In your unprofessional opinion, what's on his mind?" she asked.

"Wait, wait, unprofessional?" he said as he looked back at her.

"Just a joke, mister therapist."

In spite of himself, he smiled. "I know, I know. But what I don't know is what's running through his mind."

They watched the raider for a moment, seeing him pace back and forth along the edge of the roof. When he looked back at them, seeing that they had been staring at him, he shouted, "The fuck're you both staring at? And what are we doing up here, anyway? Let's get inside the fuckin' building!"

"You ready?" Amata asked Lloyd, who nodded.

"As I'll ever be, I suppose. Let's head down."

The three of them, with their faithful canine companion Russ in tow, walked back into the G.N.R. plaza, where not too long ago they had battled a horde of super mutants and then topped it off by defeating a behemoth and a gargantuan. The Brotherhood of Steel members were busy with moving away dead bodies and collecting whatever they could from the fallen, ally and enemy alike.

As they walked to the entrance of the large building, they were intercepted by Sarah Lyons, head of the Lyons' Pride. Like before, she had her helmet off, revealing her tanned skin, blonde hair and striking features.

"I suppose it's my turn to thank you, isn't it?" she said as they approached.

"Yeah... I guess you do," Lloyd answered. He held out his hand, and Sarah took it in hers, shaking it firmly.

"What exactly happens to you now?" Amata asked.

"We came here to reinforce the soldiers stationed here and evacuate any wounded on site. With the area secure, you can go in and talk to Three Dog if you like."

"I gotta say, Sarah, was it?" Lloyd asked. "I'm impressed with you guys. You don't screw around."

Sarah smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment. If we don't kill all the super mutants in the D.C. ruins, who will? The Brotherhood does its best with the super mutants, but sometimes they need a little something... special. That's where the Lyons' Pride comes in."

Amata spoke, "Is there anything else you can tell us about G.N.R. really quick?"

The leader of the Lyons' Pride nodded. "Well, the Brotherhood needed a secure outpost, and the guy who runs the radio station needed to not get his head ripped off by super mutants. It's a mutually beneficial relationship."

"What about the man in charge? Three Dog?" Amata asked.

"Three Dog is the man who keeps everything running, yeah. He pretty much keeps the radio station going all by himself, but he's got a small staff to help him too. He's... interesting, I'll give him that."

Lloyd looked over and saw two soldiers carrying a bloody Brotherhood soldier away. "Reddin, wasn't that her name?" he asked. Sarah looked up at him.

"What?"

"I mean, that new recruit you had. I saw her. She was the first killed by the behemoth. I'm sorry about her loss."

Sarah nodded. "She died well. In the end, that's all that really matters. It's Vargas I'm worried about. He was her mentor. I'll have to talk with him." She looked over and the two of them followed her eyes to a bench on which sat another man in power armor, rather solemnly smoking a cigarette.

Lloyd nodded. "Hey, I have a question. That power armor you wear... is it rare?"

Sarah looked back. "Fairly. Why?"

"It's just that we encountered a group of people not too many days ago wearing similar armor, only it theirs were painted black and red."

Immediately, Lloyd and Amata saw both recognition and disdain in Sarah's face. "Oh. There's... a history to them. Trust me when I say that it's a long story. You can rest assured that they won't hurt you, I can tell you that much."

"Well, they didn't... they were just rude," Amata said.

"That's... to be expected. Let's just say that they're the Outcasts of the Brotherhood."

"Outcasts? You cast them out? What did they do?" Lloyd asked.

"No, no, they left of their own choice. It's... complicated. Leave it at that." Sarah looked over at some of her troops, who were apparently waiting for her.

"Well there was another man in power armor who attacked us, but his was a different kind," Amata told her.

Sarah paused. "A different kind?"

Lloyd explained, "Well, the group we encountered had the same kind of model of power armor that you wear. But this man's was different. Here, we have his helmet." He nodded at Amata, who unzipped Lloyd's backpack and pulled out the black helmet, whose still eyes glowed with a dull orange color. She handed it to Sarah.

"Recognize it?" Amata asked.

Sarah looked at the helmet, turning it over in her hands. Slowly, her eyes drifted upwards. "And the owner of this helmet attacked you?" They both nodded. "And is he dead?"

Lloyd cracked a smile and said, "Well, he didn't give us the helmet for free."

Sarah repeated herself very seriously, "Is he dead?"

Lloyd's mirth faded. "Yes…"

Sarah looked down at the helmet once more. "If you don't mind, I'd like to keep this."

"Sure… No problem," Lloyd replied, shrugging. "Do you recognize it?"

"No… But I know someone who might. I'll show it to them. Hopefully it's… just nothing."

"Well... we should go, then," Lloyd said, looking to Amata, then back at Sarah. "Thanks again."

"No, thank you. Good luck out there, and watch yourself." They exchanged looks and then parted ways. As the four of them entered the G.N.R. radio building, Sarah looked back at them. 'Just who the hell were those two?' she thought. 'Unlike anyone I've ever met... they come out of nowhere, and blow up a couple tons worth of super mutant... And they have this helmet…'

As Sarah rejoined her troops, her last thought about the two of them was that she doubted it would be the last she heard or saw of them.

* * *

"Here they come again!" Brick called out as the super mutants charged around the corner, hollering and brandishing weapons. Brick let loose with her minigun, blasting them with bullets. Miles shot a few with his trusted sniper rifle, and nearby, Trigger fired her pistol wildly and recklessly in the direction of the super mutants, as was her style.

One of the super mutants got a good shot in, hitting Trigger in the stomach. She shouted in pain as she fell back. Miles and Brick continued to hold them off as the team medic, Butcher, dragged her back to a more defended position for medical treatment. He dragged her, as gently as the situation would allow, back towards the broken elevator their team technician, Donovan, was frantically attempting to repair. If he couldn't get it working, then they were as good as dead.

"Damn it Reilly, hurry the hell up..." Butcher muttered as he began cleaning Trigger's rapidly bleeding wound. He looked over at Donovan. "Any luck?" he asked

"Nothing with the elevator. But I might be able to send out a radio message."

"Don't focus on two things at once! Nobody's coming for us out here. Nobody. There's not a single goddamn person in these ruins who would come to a cry for help."

Donovan wanted to object to the grim observation, but didn't. He couldn't think of a reason that would disprove the grim reality that they were alone, deep in enemy territory, and that they were running out of supplies.

He didn't know how much longer they could keep this up before the super mutants killed them all.

Just then, they heard a gurgling, stomach-churning cry as an abominable mutant, a beast that accompanied the super mutants, ran towards their defensive line. Heavily mutated, with large, cancerous growths dominating its back and shoulders, muscular arms and a face that seemed like its skin was stretched across it too tightly, the monster ran forward, foam dribbling out of its mouth.

Brick turned her minigun upon it, shredding its skin and organs under a hail of 5mm bullets. The abomination fell to the ground and was still. Brick let out her held breath. "Okay… let's set up for when they hit us again. Move!"

* * *

They approached the front entrance of the G.N.R. building, finding it to be locked. An intercom to the direct right of the door buzzed to life. A man's voice came out of it.

"Looks like it's all clear. Unlocking outer doors."

With a clicking sound, they were able enter the building. Past two piles of sandbags near the inside entrance, they could see the building's lobby. The lobby was dark, illuminated only by some lights connected to a generator, but the dim light was enough to see two Brotherhood knights, one wielding a flamethrower and the other a laser rifle. The rifle-wielder stepped forward.

"Knight Finley at your service," he introduced himself.

Then, the other spoke. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Knight Dillon."

"What can I we do for you?" Finley asked.

"We need to speak to Three Dog," Lloyd answered immediately.

"Oh," the knight replied, a hint of realization sparking in his voice, "you were expected. Go right on up."

"Expected?" Amata asked. She looked over at Lloyd. "Then that means your father was here..."

"Or is here." Lloyd looked up to the stairs. "Come on."

The four of them moved to the stairs, turning left and then right into a small hallway that ended in a door labeled "G.N.R. Studio."

"This is it," Lloyd said, opening the door. The room they entered was mostly empty save for a lot of file cabinets and scattered papers, but to their left was a well-lit staircase. Moving towards it, they saw a man at the top. He descended the stairs.

He wore a black leather vest over a white shirt and dark pants. His skin was African, and he had a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee combo. He wore sunglasses and a gray rag that covered most of the top of his head. There were other small details, like fingerless gloves and small pin-on buttons. Then, they heard his voice; undoubtedly the most distinctive part about him.

"Now, I know what you're thinking," he said. "The looks on your faces say it all. You're wondering who the heck this guy is and why you should care. Well... prepare to be enlightened." He threw his arms out to the side and took a theatrical-style bow. "I am Three Dog, jockey of disks and teller of truths, master of the finest radio station to ever grace the wastes, Galaxy News Radio."

He had an odd style of speaking, friendly yet almost violent, with inflections on strange parts of a sentence and exaggerations on different words.

He looked directly at Lloyd. "And you, well... I know about you. Heard about you from the pipeline coming in from Megaton. Leaving that vault and traveling the wastes, just like dear old dad, huh? Met him already."

"My father?" Lloyd said, excitement rising in his voice. "Is he here right now? Please, I've been looking for him!"

"Hey, hey, one thing at a time!" Three Dog said, holding up his hands. "Nah, your pop ain't here. Not anymore. He heard about 'ole Three Dog on the radio. Figured I knew what was what out in the wasteland. And he was right! Filled him in on everything he wanted to know. Then he split. Looks like I've got my way of contributing to the good fight, and he's got his own."

Lloyd felt disappointment seep into him, but he had more questions that had popped up. "What do you mean by that? What's the good fight and what does my father have to do with it? I heard about it from a bartender in Megaton, but he didn't know much about it."

Three Dog's voice suddenly got sympathetic and understanding. "Imagine a picture, okay? A picture of the Capital Wasteland. All that brick and rock... a whole lotta nothing, right?" He moved over to a boarded-up window, which had a crack between two planks that one could peek out of. "There's people out there struggling to just make it day-to-day. Fightin' to say alive and make something outta what they got."

He turned back to face the four of them. "And then you got all kinds of bad shit out there. Slavers, raiders, super mutants... they all want a slice of the pie, too, and aim to take it... by force."

Lloyd began to nod his head, understanding what the dramatic man meant. "So you do your part on the radio, spreading news, stories and hope to the normal people of the wasteland?"

"Well holy shit!" Three Dog said in surprise. "Ain't you just a chip off the old radioactive block? You are as smart as your dad, aren't you?"

"He tries to be," Amata said, smiling.

"Now you, I heard about you too..." Three Dog said, walking up to the two of them while Jericho and Russ hung back behind them. "You left with Lloyd here, right?" He put his fingers to his forehead, attempting to conjure up a memory. "Amata! Heard about you too, how you smashed a man's head in with a bat."

"Yeah, well..." she said looking away, rather embarrassed to be known for doing such a thing.

"Your dad didn't mention anything about her, though," Three Dog said to Lloyd. "I'm guessing she wasn't part of the plan, was she?"

"Well... not originally. Look, I'd love to stick around and talk, but I need to know where my father went."

"Hey, you got a nice pooch!" Three Dog moved past them, leaning down to pet Russ' head. Their canine companion growled contentedly, which pleased the radio jockey. "Hey, who's a nice little guy, huh? Who's a nice little guy!"

"Three Dog... My father?" Lloyd persisted. Three Dog stood up and caught eyes with Jericho.

"Have we met?" he asked.

"Doubt it. But all you fuckin' freedom fighters think raiders look the same."

"A raider! You two make some odd friends," he said, turning back to face them. He saw an impatient-looking Lloyd. "Oh, right, sorry. You know, I just gotta say, you're a spitting image of your dad, in more ways than looks. He was here, and now you're here. Amazing, really."

"I'm looking for him," Lloyd reminded the eccentric man. Amata put a steadying hand on his shoulder to remind him to keep calm.

"It just so happens that his current location is known to yours truly. But if you wanna know more, you're gonna have to contribute to the good fight. If you think you're up for it."

"To find my father, I'll do anything," Lloyd said, though he was frustrated at the prospect of having to do further work in order to get to the next step of his quest.

"Good, 'cause this isn't gonna be easy. Lemme break it down for you: Galaxy News Radio is my baby. I love it. I feet it. I keep it changed!" At that, Lloyd cocked an eyebrow. "But there's a problem. Nobody outside of D.C. can hear her cry."

"He's right," Amata said. "His station is nothing but static. Remember back in Megaton?"

"Right. You see, some brainless super mutant thought it'd be funny to shoot a rocket at the shiny round thing at the top of the Washington Monument. That really tall, blasted spire of concrete, right?"

"I see where this is going..." Lloyd muttered.

"Yup. That shiny thing was our broadcast relay. Without it, our broadcast range is... quite limited. Of course, the company that made that relay dish is long-gone. Leveled. As in, we're never gonna scavenge that part again. We need a replacement, and there's only one we know of."

"This is starting to sound a little risky," Amata pointed out.

"It is risky. I would never lie to you about your chances. But there's something in your eyes, both of yours, that just screams, 'We're the ones who can get shit done.' Your dad had those eyes too. That's why ole Three Dog helped him, and why I'm gonna help you."

"More goddamn busy-work if you ask me," Jericho muttered behind them. They paid his comment little heed.

"Alright," Lloyd said, nodding. "How can we help?"

"One of the Brotherhood guys who passed through here told me about a dish he saw in one of D.C.'s old museums. It's the dish off the old Virgo II lunar lander from the Museum of Technology. I need you all to go get it and replace the bad one. Alright?"

Lloyd nodded. "Easy enough. The catch?"

"The whole area is absolutely crawling with super mutants. It used to be a park of some kind called the Mall, spelt m-a-l-l. Now it's called the Maul, m-a-u-l, because of all of the super mutants there and what they end up doing to non-mutants. Place is a complete war zone."

"I've been there," Jericho remarked. "I know the building, too. I'll take you guys there."

Lloyd turned back to the former raider. "You're still serious about hanging around?" he asked.

"On the way we're gonna get to fight and kill more super mutants and anything else that's pissed off enough at us to shoot to kill. Fuck yeah I'm sticking around with you, even if your little romance makes me sick to my stomach."

Ignoring that comment, he turned once more to Three Dog and said, "You've got yourself a deal."

"Whooo-eeee! I sure know how to pick'em!" he cried. "You're gonna be the best thing that's happened to Galaxy News in a loooong time. If you need anything else, I'll be here waiting for you."

"Alright then. Is there anything else?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah. One more thing. When you come back, I wanna hear your story."

"Our story?" Amata asked.

"Yeah. Couple'a vault dwellers coming out to the wasteland? And they're in love? And they're on a quest, searching for a lost father? It'll make a hell of a story to air."

"Uh... yeah," Amata warily replied, slightly embarrassed at the prospect of their relationship being news-worthy. Lloyd coughed into his hand a bit, clearly equally as uncomfortable. Jericho laughed.

"So... time to get going, then," Lloyd changed the subject. "You'll have your story when we return."

"It's dangerous. I think you mean if you return," Three Dog said.

Lloyd paused before the door. "No. I mean when we return." With that, he exited the building with his comrades in tow.

Three Dog shook his head. "Hmm..." he thought aloud as he began to imagine the future of his broadcasts about the two vaulties. "Gonna need a name for this new story..." He snapped his fingers. "I got it."

He exited the studio and went to the technician area to speak with Margaret. "Hey Margaret!" he called out. A dour woman, her desk buried in papers, turned to him. A half-burnt cigarette hung from her lips.

"What..." she said, replying in her typically dry, unenthused tone.

"Make a note for me before I forget what I'm thinking about." He waved his arms in the air as he said, "The Legend of the Wandering Pair from Vault 101. Nice, huh?"

She wrote it down. "Uh-huh. Real ear catcher."

"Ah, Margaret, what would I do without you?" he joked.

She waved him off and he walked back up to the studio, laughing all the way. "Yessiree, the Legend of the Wandering Pair from Vault 101... this'll be the best story I've ever told."

* * *

They exited G.N.R. and began to follow Jericho. "Back to Chevy Chase, first off, then I'll lead from there," he told them. They walked past the massive green corpse of the super mutant behemoth, whom Amata had killed with a Fat Man mini-nuke launcher, where some Brotherhood members were getting their photographs taken in front of it. One of them stood atop it, holding his rifle up in the air.

They backtracked to their original subway entrance and began heading east, above ground, on foot. The sky was a cloudless grey color, so everything around them seemed dull and lifeless. They passed by some large buses, of few of which caught Lloyd's eye.

"Any chance of these things working?" he asked. Jericho laughed.

"The day I see an old-school city liner up and running will be the day I retire," he replied after chuckling. Not far from the buses, they entered another metro station.

"Back underground..." Amata grumbled.

"You know a faster way to get where you're going? No? Then shut it," Jericho said.

"Don't talk like that to her," Lloyd said. "If you're gonna stick around, Jericho, know your place."

The raider turned to face them. "Look, kid, I don't need your bullshit either, alright?"

Suddenly, a gasping, withered shriek emanated from the darkness of the station as a ghoul leapt out at Jericho, claws poised to swipe at Jericho's back. Russ barked. Lloyd's pistol was quickly in his hand and with a single shot, the creature fell back, a hole in its head leaking blood.

"Holy shit!" Jericho said as he wheeled around. "Goddamn kid! That was a hell of a shot, hahah!" he shouted. Jericho's wide smile was a strict difference when compared to their faces. "I knew there was a reason I was traveling with you, kid!" Jericho said as he turned around and took out his shotgun. "Now let's get moving."

As he left them standing there, Lloyd and Amata could only shake their heads. "Weapons out," he said to Amata as he slid his pistol back in its holster, and she complied by pulling out her SMG. They both took a moment to readjust their headgear before following Jericho, with Russ trotting along just behind them dutifully.

Up ahead was another ghoul, standing in the light, so it was easy prey for Jericho. They turned south after finding their tunnel's path blocked and wound up in another large station. Amata and Lloyd quickly moved up a broken, unmoving escalator, Lloyd going first. From behind came another shrieking ghoul. Russ charged forward and bit at its legs and Amata raised her SMG and fired a few rounds, taking down the feral. Lloyd, atop the escalator, gave her a thumbs-up.

As Lloyd turned to look back up the escalator, he was greeted with the sight of a ghoul only a few feet away, wearing tattered leather armor and charging directly at him down the stairs, preparing to swing its clawed hand.

Lloyd brought up the butt of his rifle and smashed it into the face of the feral enemy, sending it tumbling over the side of the defunct escalator, where it fell to the ground below and moaned. He took aim over the side and fired twice, killing it. When the ghoul's corpse was still, Lloyd panted and said, "Holy... He almost got me, heh," he said, wiping the sweat off his brow.

Jericho, who had gone ahead of them, appeared at the top of the escalator to check on them. Nodding to the both of them, he motioned for them to continue following. "Right up here, kid. 'Nother few streets and we'll get there," Jericho said, leaning against a wall near a chain-link gate from which dim light was streaming through. They proceeded onwards, down the street and up to a boarded-up building which like many others was missing the majority of its upper half.

"Where to from here?" Lloyd asked.

"There's an open door nearby. Walk up to the second floor and then drop out a window in the back. It'll take you to a city square and from there we'll figure out what's up," Jericho instructed. Lloyd took point, his hunting rifle in hand, and did as Jericho had told him. He walked up the stairs and jumped out a second-story window into the soft dirt below. He caught Amata, holding her in a bridal position for a moment before smiling and setting her down.

"Right this way," Lloyd said, hearing as Jericho jumped down and Amata caught Russ as the dog leapt from the window. They walked through a building and out onto the street. Ahead of them loomed a large circular area in the center of some buildings. Broken cars littered the streets, and what Lloyd assumed was a pre-war fountain was in the center of the square.

Then, the bullets rang out. They sprayed the wall near Lloyd, who cried out to take cover as he jumped backwards into the building he had just exited from.

"Goddamnit!" he said, struggling to get up and prepare himself for battle. "Why can't anywhere we go be not filled with people who want to shoot us?!" He looked outside, trying to find his targets. Raiders, a few of them, were moving around and shooting in their general direction, but they were too far away and behind too much natural cover for Lloyd to get a clear shot at.

He felt Amata's presence behind him as he looked out of the doorway and across the street. As he did so, a massive explosion rocked the square, raising a large mushroom shaped cloud that rose thirty meters into the air. "Christ! The hell was that?" he cried. The explosion had taken out a portion of the fountain, and water streamed out from its pool.

Amata saw a feral ghoul charging at them from the opposite direction the explosion had come from. She raised her SMG and fired, the majority of the hail of bullets hitting their marks the creature fell onto the concrete and curled up, dead.

After waiting a few seconds, Lloyd rolled out onto the street, aiming his gun into the smoke that now encompassed the square. He carefully walked forward and was caught off-guard when a female raider with an arc-light helmet jumped out from a pile of sandbags some twenty feet away and shot him in the gut with a semiautomatic rifle. Lloyd cried out and fell back and Amata screamed.

The female raider was then put down by Jericho, who had walked back around the building to a more advantageous position. As he fired on the woman he cried, "Hahah! Two shots, kid, two shots!"

Lloyd felt the wound. It was in his lower right side, just above his waist. His rational, medical portion of his brain told him knew it wasn't a fatal shot, but damn did it hurt. He took out a stimpak from his pocket and slammed it into his stomach, alongside a shot of Med-X a moment later. He felt the pain leave him as Amata and Russ were by his side.

"Lloyd, are you alright?" she asked, incredibly worried and fearful.

"Heh... Just another day, another bullet," he grunted, moving to stand up. Amata helped him.

Up ahead of them, past the fountain, Jericho had discovered more raiders and had engaged them. At their beckoning, Russ rushed to help him. Lloyd motioned to the fountain and she helped walk him over. They both knelt alongside the fountain's edge, which gave them cover from the raider's fire.

Once safe from enemy fire, Lloyd began to unzip his jumpsuit and slide off the upper portion to lift up his shirt and clean the wound. It was still bleeding, much to his dismay, but he had the proper utilities to fix himself right up. With Amata's help, they put pressure on the wound and began wrapping a bandage around his lower torso to hold the thick gauze in place. Around them, bullets flew and in the distance, another explosion could be heard over Jericho's laughter.

Lloyd breathed heavily as he sat there. Amata held one side of his face with her hand. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" she kept asking, wanting to be sure he was alright.

He smiled and said, "How about a kiss to make it all better?" In spite of her distress, she smiled too and leant forward to do just that.

A bullet on the concrete of the fountain's statue killed the romance of the moment as Amata sprang into action and Lloyd quickly slipped back into his jumpsuit, sliding on his combat harness and backpack. His side still ached, but he knew he'd just have to grit his teeth and pull through it. He knew he'd have to remove the bullet in his side later, but he'd worry about that when the time came.

Another explosion came from the same direction of the first. Apparently they were the result of nuclear cells in the old pre-war cars, because when they lit up they sent flames upwards of fifty feet in the air. From the smoke came a hail of bullets as a super mutant hopped over a burning car, crunching metal beneath his feat as he landed, wielding a rapidly-firing minigun. Amata and Lloyd both dived in two different directions. As they did so, Lloyd took another bullet in the left arm. He cried out as he fell and landed near a landmine, which began beeping rapidly.

"Oh fuck!" he cried out as he rolled away as fast as he could, cringing as he rolled over his two new bullet wounds. The mine went off and Lloyd felt the burning heat of it wash over him, though thankfully, he had rolled far enough away to avoid the blunt of the blast. His ears rang.

The super mutant advanced, cackling wildly as he sighted Lloyd. As he took a moment to aim, he heard a howl as Jericho descended on the super mutant, cracking a board of wood across his green skull. The super mutant cried as Jericho brought the plank up and smacked it into his chin, breaking it in half. As the super mutant recoiled in pain, the former raider spun in place, took out his assault rifle and pumped the mutant full of bullets.

Lloyd got to his feet, dizzy and disoriented. He grabbed his bleeding left arm. Somewhere nearby, another car exploded. "Why the fuck… are there so many… explosions?!" he shouted, mostly to himself, as he began jogging as fast as he could across the square back to the building. Amata picked herself up and saw him step near another landmine they had missed.

"Lloyd! Jump!" she cried.

Hearing her call, and the tell-tale beeping, he grunted loudly and leapt forward as the mine exploded, sending him lurching forward and his forehead connected solidly with the pavement. His vision swam and sounds around him faded as a low ringing sound resounded in his ears.

"Fuck... fuck... fuck..." he chanted over and over as he began crawling towards the doorway. Blood from his forehead dripped down, obscuring his left eye's vision as it ran over his goggles. He got inside, and slumped up against a wall as methodically took off his backpack and once more got out his medical pack to clean his wounds. Were it not for his medical training and the Med-X in his system, he probably would have passed out from the pain.

Amata joined him then, running in and finding him sitting there. "Lloyd!"

"Oh, hey, I got shot and blown up again," he said with a weak smile. She rushed over and took off his helmet and goggles as he once more unzipped his jumpsuit to get at the new wound in his upper left arm.

Like before, this new bullet had stopped in his arm and also needed to be removed. He took a small pair of tweezers out and handed them to Amata before shooting up more Med-X near the wound. "Hope I don't get addicted to this stuff, eh?" he joked. Amata wasn't in a very humorous mood. Grimly, and as gingerly as she could, she began to remove the bullet. Though she paused at every little wince, she was soon successful and removed the small metal from his arm. The wound was cleaned and dressed soon afterwards.

"Next one now," he instructed, leaning to expose his bandaged side. Amata quickly undid the hastily-placed bandage, grimacing at how bloody it was, before she went to work with the tweezers.

Outside, more bullets rang out as Jericho and Russ fought against the remaining raiders. Amata tried hard to block out the noise and focus on the task before her. She knew that Lloyd's health was in her hands and focused on ensuring that they stopped trembling. Then she found it; the tweezers connected against the bullet and she carefully pulled it out, dropping it onto the floor below. Like before, Lloyd groggily instructed her on how to clean the wound.

"I wonder how much more punishment my left arm can take, eh?" he said, though immediately afterwards he was silenced by Amata's lips as she kissed him over and over, tears streaming out of her eyes. "Woah, woah, I'm alive! I'm most definitely alive," he said with a smile. She hugged him tightly.

"I was so scared..." she said. In that moment, Jericho walked in with Russ behind him.

"Killed 'em all, kid," he said. "Some good loot out there. Get on your feet."

"Shut up!" Amata said. "He's hurt!"

"No, no, I'm fine," he said with a pained voice, trying to stand up. Amata supported him, holding him up with her shoulder. As they walked out behind Jericho, his arm around Amata's shoulders, he spoke. "Really though, I'm starting to wonder if I'm some kind of super hero with all the bullets I've been taking. Lemme go, I think I can fly," he laughed like a child.

"You're a little high on morphine, Lloyd. It'll pass," Amata told him.

"Only a little high," he chuckled.

Jericho looked at Lloyd and shook his head. "There's a tunnel up ahead. We go down there, and find a place to give the kid a break," Jericho informed her. "Head over there," he pointed, "while I loot the bodies. Gotta get something outta this shit."

Amata, holding Lloyd and with Russ in tow, quickly made it to the next metro station. As they entered, they heard a gleeful roar as a super mutant who had been situated right inside the tunnel pulled out a plank of wood and charged at them. The green man's attack was intercepted by Russ, who threw himself at the super mutant, growling and biting.

The distraction gave Amata enough time to get her SMG in hand and finish off the super mutant, taking care to not hit Russ. As the first died, another from deeper in the tunnel began firing at them with an assault rifle, peppering the wall near them with bullets. Once more, Russ attacked and Amata finished him off.

"Too close..." Amata muttered, dragging the lazy Lloyd over to a wall and setting him down, propping his back against the wall.

From above, Jericho shouted, "Hey! Heard gunshots; you guys alive or dead?"

"Alive," Amata reported, before looking at Russ. "Go boy; make sure there aren't any others down here." Russ seemed to understand and started plodding around, sniffing, maintaining a perimeter around his masters. Amata turned her attention back to Lloyd. His eyes were closed. She ran her hands through his hair, trying to get his attention "Lloyd. Lloyd, do you need anything?" she asked him.

His eyes slowly opened. "There's a Nuka-Cola machine right behind you. There any Nuka in there?" he asked. She stood up and walked over to the machine, forcing the rusted lock open. There was one inside. She took it out and walked back to Lloyd.

"How are you going to open it?" she asked. As she did so, he took the bottle from her hands and used his teeth to pry off the bottlecap.

"Don't do that at home," he joked before downing the majority of the fizzing liquid.

"You're really giving me a lot of scares lately, you know," she said as she sat back. "I don't want you to die."

"Well, I don't want me to die either, so I guess that whole thing works out, eh?" he said in between gulps. Not long afterwards, he finished off the drink and proceeded to lie on his side, burying his head in his arms.

"Lloyd?" Amata tried to rouse him, lightly tapping his face.

"It's okay... I'm cool. Just gonna take a nap. I'm good," he replied.

"You sure?" she asked. He nodded in response and then dozed off. She checked his Pip-Boy to monitor his condition. The built-in vital readings indicated that he was getting better.

Amata tried to make him as comfortable as possible. When this was done, Amata sat back against the opposite wall in the barely-lit tunnel. She sighed heavily and took off her stormchaser hat and let her hair loose. She couldn't say she enjoyed her current state of cleanliness. Her hair was messy and slightly greasy, her skin and jumpsuit were dirty, and in some spots, bloody and she was still sweaty from the last battle.

She looked over at the corpses of the two super mutants. She really hoped more wouldn't pop up. It was getting dark outside, and she knew she was tired and would have to sleep soon. Nearby, Russ sat, vigilant and ready for any signs of danger.

She looked over at Lloyd, noting that his face was similarly dirty and his hair could do with a wash as well. His jumpsuit, especially his left arm, was considerably bloodier than hers. 'We'll have to find other clothing soon.' She thought about the armor the raiders wore, and decided that she'd hate that kind of clothing, all those loose straps of metal and leather. She recalled seeing one female raider wearing pre-war kitchen stringers over her breasts. The image made her shudder a little.

She thought about life back in the vault. Clean, easy, nicer people. She hoped everything was going well down there. She hoped her father was alright. For a moment, she regretted her choice to go with Lloyd out into the wasteland.

But only for a moment.

She knew Lloyd needed her, though most people wouldn't see the dependency from an outside perspective. It was those quiet moments, shared back in the vault, when nobody else was around and it was just the two of them, young and very much in love, when their relationship first took off and nothing else mattered to them. They hadn't had a chance to feel like that since they had left, not even in those nights in bed in Megaton. 'Out here, there's so much going on. It's all so complicated. So much to worry about, to think about... It's no wonder how we haven't found time for each other like we used to.'

She hoped things would get better. Maybe even returning to the vault would be a possibility someday. Until then, they'd make things work the best they could. And for now, all they could do would be to ensure that they were always there for each other.

Jericho came in then, derailing her train of thought. "Kid dead?" he asked, no concern showing in his voice.

"Asleep. Nice notion, though," she said as he walked past her to inspect one of the super mutants.

"You do this?"

"Yeah."

"Not bad."

That was all he said. He took clips of ammunition which was compatible for guns Lloyd and Amata and set them down near Amata. He took out a pack of cigarettes he had looted from one of the raider's bodies. He leaned against the wall and lit it up, taking a deep inhale and then puffing out the smoke. Amata began gathering the ammunitions into her backpack.

For a few minutes, an awkward silence overtook their small corner of the station, the only audible noises being Russ' panting and Jericho's smoking.

"Why'd you follow him?" Jericho suddenly broke the silence.

"Excuse me?" Amata replied, having not been paying attention to him hence not expecting him to spark conversation.

"The kid. Why'd you follow him?" he repeated, taking a long drag on a cigarette before dropping it and stamping it out. He lit another.

She looked over at Lloyd. "It's difficult to describe."

"Difficult or do you just not wanna talk about it? Is that it?" Jericho asked, almost accusing her of something.

She looked up at him. "No, I'd rather not."

He cocked a smile. "Ah, that's it, eh? I see what's got your panties in a bunch." He took a moment to inhale, but spoke before she could reply. "Well to be honest, I don't like you either, you pampered little bitch."

Amata stood up and balled up her fists. "Don't talk to me like that."

"Or what? Gonna have your boyfriend do all the hard work and kill me?" he chuckled. "He's out of it."

"You... you..." Amata said, trying to find the words. "You're despicable."

"That really hurts me, princess." He slid on an arc-light helmet he had acquired from a dead raider and walked down the tunnel. "I'll make sure nothing sneaks up on us," he called out, laughing as he did so. "Try not to get too angry while I'm gone."

Frustrated, Amata sat down and chucked a piece of rock at a wall, which startled Russ. 'Hate that guy,' she thought. She looked down at the canine, who stared back at her. She crawled over and rubbed his head. "Sorry, boy," she apologized.

"Sorry about him," Lloyd mumbled, surprising her.

"Lloyd?" she asked. His eyes slowly opened.

"Yeah." He awkwardly slid up and looked at his left arm, and rubbed it gently. "Crazy day, huh?"

She nodded. "Are you alright?" She moved next to him and sat down.

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Just sore is all."

They were quiet for a while. Amata rested her head on his shoulder. Off in the distance, they could hear gunfire. "Think that's Jericho?" he asked. She nodded. A moment later, Jericho returned and saw them.

"Good. You're up. Raiders up ahead, kid. Need some help."

Amata wanted to object, but Lloyd grunted and got to his feet. "Got my helmet?" he asked her. She silently retrieved his helmet and goggles. After rearming himself, the four of them ventured down the path Jericho had walked a moment ago.

"I found a bed, too," Jericho informed them. "All yours once we kill these suckers."

"Fun," Amata said dryly.

"And after that?" Lloyd asked.

"More walking. Got a ways to go before we reach the Maul. So, you know, more fun, isn't that right, princess?"

"Shut it, Jericho," Lloyd ordered.

Jericho laughed. "Yes sir, sir. You fuckin' got it, kid. Yes sir."

* * *

From the corner, he watched as his owner fed the poor sap his alcohol and drained him of caps. He watched as the man began crying, and how his owner would smile at the man's misery. He watched as Azrukhal, the man he most hated and despised yet was forced to serve, worked his evil, deceptive magic and kept the man drunk and shilling out money. He watched as he began giving him colored water instead of alcohol, yet still charged him the same price. He had seen it a dozen times, and knew that since ghouls could hardly taste a single thing with their atrophied tongues and that the man was too drunk to notice the difference, Azrukhal would get away with his swindle.

When the ghoul collapsed, Azrukhal called out to him. "Charon." The name got his attention. He turned his dull blue eyes over to the horrible ghoul, his owner Azrukhal, dressed in his nice white suit. "Drag him out of here," he ordered.

And Charon obeyed. He showed no small comfort to the ghoul as he dragged him out of the Ninth Circle, the bar he was employed as a bouncer at. He dropped him outside and returned, resuming his almost frightfully unmoving standing position in the corner. Many in this place knew of Charon, and many rumors had been spread by his unnerving proclivity to stand in one spot for hours on end, watching the bar and waiting for orders from his owner.

Charon cast his eyes over at the smug and smiling Azrukhal and wished, more than anything, that he could take his shotgun and blast that smile off of his face.

'One day,' was all he thought. 'One day.'

* * *

The rest of the journey to the station that led to the Maul was as dangerous as one would expect of the underground sections of D.C. They fought raiders, super mutants, wild dogs and feral ghouls aplenty, facing each challenge one at a time while slowly moving forward, stopping to rest and salvage after every encounter.

Jericho's memory and his skills as a guide proved true and they once more found themselves standing before a chain-link fence exit to the outside world. Daylight streamed through, and they could see a series of escalators on the other side which rose up to ground level. "And those lead up to the Maul?" Lloyd asked. Jericho nodded while reloading his rifle. "What'll greet us up there?" Lloyd asked, pulling out his sniper rifle.

"Something big, nasty and green," Jericho answered, pulling out his assault rifle.

"Where's the museum of technology?" Amata asked.

"Right near the exit on the right, just up those stairs," he answered.

"Alright then. It won't do to just stick around and talk about it. Let's go." Lloyd was about to go up, before Amata took hold of his arm.

"You sure you're okay and ready?" she asked. He nodded confidently, then led the way up, past the rusted gates and up the broken escalators. When they were up, the first thing to catch his eyes was the massive, red-skinned gargantuan super mutant whom had recently had its arm blown off courtesy of Lloyd.

Amata summed it up best. "Oh shit." They quickly ducked back the way they came. Lloyd looked out from cover with his sniper rifle, surveying through its scope.

The massive super mutant was sitting cross-legged in the center of the Maul, a huge stretch of dirty land with deep trenches dug into it. At one end was the Capital Building, a large structure with holes in its once-pristine white roof. At the other end, the massive spire of white concrete with similar external damage, the Washington Monument.

The gargantuan was holding its right arm's stump in pain, with its dull green eyes shut tight. At its feet, many super mutants could be seen. They were amassing large piles of corpses and what looked like bags of gore, bloody nets full of organs and flesh. Lloyd tried to get a better look at what they were doing, but Jericho urgently tapped on his shoulder.

"Kid, we gotta get inside before they see us!" Jericho said in a hushed and urgent tone.

"I know, I know!" he replied. "But they've got something..."

"What is it, Lloyd?" Amata said, holding Russ and soothing his whining.

Looking through his scope, he relayed to them what he saw. "They've got barrels of something... They're all sealed. I can't see what's inside, but there're radioactive symbols on the side of them."

"Nuclear waste? Or something else?" she asked.

"Probably something else."

"Kid we've gotta get inside now! The last thing we need is that guy coming after you all pissed off and shit!" Jericho said. Lloyd quickly agreed and they all ducked down, moving silently and swiftly. They made good time to the entrance of the museum. They ran inside the dark building and shut the door behind them.

After taking a moment to catch their breath, Lloyd spoke. "Well, that's going to be a problem."

"Getting the dish is the first problem," Amata replied. "It's just that once we get the dish, the problem gets a lot bigger."

"Get the dish first, right." Lloyd took a moment to observe their surroundings. The opening lobby must have once been quite an impressive sight, though now it was just as trashed and wrecked as any other building. A large, old wooden plane that once hung from the ceiling was now crumpled up and rotting on the floor and around it, other various small exhibits and displays were smashed and ruined. A receptionist desk was nearby, scorched and littered with broken or looted computers.

"I don't see a moon lander anywhere in this room. We'll have to search the entire museum, no doubt."

"We probably won't find it 'till the end," Jericho deadpanned.

"Either way, let's start looking."

To say that the museum was crawling with super mutants would be putting it lightly. To be more accurate, the museum was infested with super mutants. As they battled their way through, they passed many interesting things, technological marvels of the past like a rocket, a recreation of a Vault-Tec vault, and models of helicopters and even a still-functioning planetarium with a recorded voice-over.

Lloyd would have loved to see more of the museum and its wonders, as the place personally fascinated him, but he was driven ever forward by the battles with the super mutants and his quest to find his father. Eventually, they found what they were seeking: the dish. Just as Three Dog said, it was attached to the old Virgo II space capsule, which thankfully had not been crushed under the mostly-collapsed ceiling. They took it off and did their best job to attach it to Lloyd's backpack.

The museum was a dangerous place, and they were glad to leave it. They paused at the exit, which had been their entrance.

"Alright... so, now we just have to deal with a building-sized monster," Lloyd said. He looked back to the two of them. "Any ideas? I'm up for running like a goddamn maniac away from that thing and towards the Washington Monument."

"I'm almost out of ammo for my rifle," Jericho said grimly. Amata checked her ammo as well, noting a similar condition.

"We haven't scraped enough from our kills," Amata said. "We need to get to a trader."

"I've been thinking about it," Jericho said. "The Maul is littered with trenches these super mutants dig, right? Well, assumin' they're too stupid to react quickly, it'll give us a couple'a seconds to run right by every one of 'em. We can run right across and make it to Underworld. Plus, there's a trader there."

"Underworld?" Amata asked.

"A city of ghouls, out of the old natural history museum," Jericho answered. "It's safe there. Super mutants don't attack ghouls; they target normal people."

"And I guess that means I'll have to make it to the monument while you two make it to safety," Lloyd observed. "Alright."

"What? You can't be serious, Lloyd!" Amata said.

"I can make the run and I have the dish," he said. "If we split up, the super mutants won't know who to follow."

"That's right kid, that's right!" Jericho said. "I'll do you one better. I'll run in the other direction, towards the Capital Building. If everything works out, at least a third of them will follow me."

"That's... surprisingly noble of you, Jericho," Lloyd said.

"It's not noble, it's stupid as hell, but also fun as fuck," the grizzled raider replied with a smile. "I can walk around the backs of a few buildings until I reach Underworld myself. I know the streets."

Lloyd nodded. "What building should Amata run towards?"

"The big one near the spire monument on the opposite side of the Maul. Big columns. There's these big flags on the outside; pictures of an elephant or whatever it's called. Can't miss it," Jericho answered.

"Alright. You got it?" he asked her. She took a deep breath and nodded. "It's gonna be a hell of a run," he said. "If you want, you can stay here."

"That's probably not a good idea," she told him. "More super mutants might come in. You sure it's safe with the ghouls in Underworld?" she asked Jericho.

Jericho nodded. "They're as ugly as the ferals, but they're not ferals themselves."

"What about Russ?" Amata brought up, kneeling down to pet him.

"I guess I'll take him," Lloyd said. "I'll need all the help I can get."

"Is this really a good idea, Lloyd?" Amata reasoned.

He shook his head. "I have no idea. But I think stupider things have been done." He pulled her in for a kiss and then said, "I'll see you in Underworld. I promise."

"You do mean the ghoul city, right?" she smiled.

"If I meant hell, I'd have said hell," he joked.

After a moment of silence, Lloyd opened the doors and began a dead run into the Maul. Ten seconds into the run he heard the cries of super mutants all around him. "Go, go, go!" he shouted as loud as he could.

All around him, bullets began flying. The dirt at his feet kicked up from the impacts of the weapons the super mutant wielded; mostly rifles and miniguns. He already felt fatigued, having to carry his pack, his weapons and the dish. The ground was incredibly uneven, with rocks, planks of wood and occasionally corpses.

'Don't trip. Trip and die. If you do trip, hope to hell that you die from splitting your head open on the rocks and you're not dragged to that big red bastard.'

They reached the center of the Maul. Jericho and Amata split off from him. Immediately, the super mutants reacted to their absence; some shifting their focus to the runners, others keeping theirs on Lloyd.

'Don't get shot. You've been shot enough. And it really, really hurts. I mean goddamn.'

Lloyd ached all over. His feet and his legs were feeling the burn of such concentrated running. He leapt clear over a trench, noticing that he had just leapt over the heads of three super mutants below him, who shouted and raised their arms, trying to grab his feet.

'This is really, really stupid. I should have thought this through more.'

Somewhere behind him, an explosion went off. A grenade, he presumed. He hoped Amata and Jericho were going to be alright. Alongside him, Russ barked fiercely. Though he didn't order the canine to do so, Russ took off ahead of him and began to draw the enemy fire with his swift movements and loud barks. Like before, in Minefield, Russ was no easy target to hit.

"Good boy!" he called out. 'Really, he's an amazing dog,' he thought.

Just then, he heard a noise that, to him, was unmistakable. Against all his better judgment, he stopped and turned.

The gargantuan was looking right at him. Not at Amata, not Jericho, not any other detail of the blasted, war torn landscape of the Maul. Lloyd knew its dull green eyes were fixated solely on himself.

'That's not good. That's really, really bad.'

The monster stood up, towering over everything in the Maul. All around the massive mountain of flesh, the super mutants stopped and turned to face what Lloyd assumed had to be what they considered their master, maybe even their god. The bullets stopped flying, the cries ceased and the monster lowered its left hand from the stump Lloyd had given it, where its right arm once was attached to its massive form.

It was almost a parody of the human form, more accurately, masculinity. Its muscles were gigantic and pulsing with veins, even more so than the behemoth. Its shoulders were so thick, so powerful, that the beast borderline did not have a neck. Its torso extended upwards in a pillar of red flesh, and its head, though apportioned in size, seemed to jet out from its upper torso. Its jaw jutted outwards, with massive yellow teeth and shriveled, almost non-existent lips.

It raised its one remaining arm up in the air and roared once more. Lloyd could swear he felt the pebbles beneath his feet move and bounce from the resounding noise which rang throughout all of the Maul. The monster's flesh seemed to pulse, as if something beneath its skin was swimming in its veins. The flesh seemed to ripple and expand. Its body seemed to pump in time with its heartbeat. It raised its left arm into the air, and to Lloyd's growing horror, it grew in size. The flesh expanded, the fingers lengthened and the arm itself seemed to grow three times its size. The stump of the right arm, similarly to his equal surprise and terror, seemed to heal, though all that protruded from the stump was now a small arm, no larger than Lloyd's body. But the left arm was now almost half of the creature's mass.

'That's completely impossible and also the most terrifying fucking thing I have ever seen in my life,' he immediately thought upon seeing the sight of the monster's new mutation. Though he was petrified in fear, his mind was still turning gears.

It roared once more. This time, it roared an angry challenge.

Lloyd turned heel and ran. Once more, the super mutants began crying out, only this time they were cheering on the gargantuan as it roared and stepped after Lloyd, every single step thundering and booming. The super mutants cheered and taunted Lloyd. One got close to him, and its green face was twisted in a smile.

"Run, puny human! Run run run!" he cried, laughing. Lloyd ignored him and charged right past him, once more clearing a trench. He had no idea where Amata, Russ or Jericho were and at that moment, he was too terrified to rationally think about their safety. The super mutant he left behind laughed and laughed, right up until he was crushed beneath the boot of the gargantuan lumbering after Lloyd, not unlike a child would step on a toy.

Lloyd could see the bottom of the monument. He saw two Brotherhood members that were stationed to guard the bottom of it from a defensive position of piled sandbags, who at the sight of the gargantuan closing in on them took off running. 'Well, I can't blame them,' he thought. 'After all, I'm doing the same thing!'

The monster caught up to Lloyd and punched at him with its massive, freshly mutated arm. Lloyd guessed that it didn't have the best of depth perceptions, nor brains, as it missed him, though as the bus-sized arm and the fist at the end of it smashed downwards into the earth only a few feet away behind him, he couldn't deny that it made one a hell of an impression.

He made it to the base of the Washington Monument. He smashed through the doors and ran inside, ignoring the burning pain in his side from his wounds, hearing the monster roar behind him. Frantically, he looked around and saw an elevator, hooked up to an external power generator.

'Am I still doing this? Still? I am out of my fucking mind. What the hell am I even gonna do once I get up there? Take potshots at it with my rifle? I am so stupid. It's amazing, really, how stupid this is. I should have listened to Amata.'

He rushed inside, pressed the button and the elevator doors closed and he began rising to the top.

Below him, he heard another roar. Then, the elevator jolted as he heard a smashing noise.

'What was that? Wait… there's no way that thing is punching the tower.'

He heard a dinging noise, and the elevator doors opened. He rushed to the edge and looked down. The monster raised its fist into the air and punched the base of the tower again.

'Does that thing think I'm still at the bottom?' he thought.

Another smash. He felt his center of gravity shift as the entire spire lurched.

"Oh shit," he muttered. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. I'm gonna die. This is it—I'm actually going to die!"

Another punch sent the tower rocking back and forth very slightly. Lloyd looked nearby and saw a metal helmet, one that resembled a motorcycle helmet. He took off his combat helmet and slid it on, though he continued speaking to himself about how doomed he was.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" he said as he looked out below once more. Behind him, the lights inside the elevator flickered off and the elevator powered down. "Well, that's great, no chance to get down now!" he shouted. He thought of Amata then, focusing on her beautiful face, her voice, everything about her. If these were going to be his last thoughts, he wanted them to be about the girl he knew he loved more than anything else in the world.

Far below, Amata watched from behind concealment as the monster punched the bottom of the spire again, its massive red hand blasting apart concrete and metal support beams. 'Oh god, no, no, no, Lloyd!' she thought as she watched in horror, knowing she could do nothing to stop it.

An eighth punch was what set the tower in complete motion. A series of snapping and cracking sounds could be heard as the stupid monster looked up and saw the tower falling right on top of him. Its green eyes widened as it roared one, final time as the massive spire, a symbol of hope and freedom for generations that had sat through the horrors of nuclear devastation, finally fell. And with it, the gargantuan's life ended.

The dust the tower kicked up alone was massive. But more than that was the impact the falling tower had on the entire wasteland. All the way to Megaton and beyond, the tower could be seen collapsing. Hundreds of people, creatures, ghouls and mutants of all shapes and sizes could see it tip and finally fall. Since the bombs fell, it had been the largest and most defining characteristic of the Washington D.C. ruins.

And now it was gone, and along with it, Lloyd.

Amata screamed in agony as the realization of Lloyd's death hit her. There was no way anyone could have survived the collapse of the tower from inside it, especially if he had made it to the top. The thick smoke and dirt fogged her eyes, obscuring her vision, but the tears in her eyes blurred her vision far more.

For minutes, she sat and cried, weeping for her loss. When she lifted her head to look once more at the wreckage, barely visible through the dust, she saw a figure approaching her.

"Ll... Lloyd?" she meekly gasped. She heard a cackling laugh. It was a super mutant. As it approached her, it grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her up. Behind him, three others laughed as they too approached.

It mocked her. "Stupid human crybaby!" The others laughed at his "joke."

Tears streamed out of her eyes, making clear streaks on her dirty cheeks. She didn't struggle against his grasp.

"Now you die! You die hard and... and die!" one of the other spoke. He was slapped in the back of the head by another.

"Shut up!" said the one who did the slapping. "We need to take her, stupid!"

"You shut up!" the first one retorted.

A voice reached their ears. "How about you all shut up?"

Amata looked up, her breathing almost ceasing. She knew that voice. It couldn't be. It was impossible, completely, one hundred percent impossible.

"Lloyd..." she said, barely above a whisper.

He stood there, atop a portion of the spire that had broken off, looking down at the four super mutants and Amata. She gasped as she realized he had a hunk of rebar jutting out of his upper right torso, just beneath his shoulder. In his hands, he held a dented metal helmet. He was bleeding profusely from a wound on his head, as well as various others. His jumpsuit was visibly torn in many areas. His backpack and the dish were nowhere to be seen.

"Lloyd..." she said again, not believing her eyes. The super mutants similarly wore blank, stupid expressions.

"Drop her. Now," he ordered.

The super mutant complied. He jumped off the rock and threw the helmet aside.

"Now listen up you goddamn green apes. My name is Lloyd Freeman. Free. Man. Got it? I killed that big red bastard. I brought down the tower and I rode it all the way to the bottom. You're going to run back home, to the dark, metal place. You know the one. The place where you're created, and you're going to tell your brothers exactly who I am and what I've done. And what will happen if they fuck with me. I'll bring a goddamn tower down on every one of you if I have to. Now go! Run!" Lloyd shouted; a wild, manic look in his eyes.

The dumfounded super mutants took a moment to register the information, cowered for a brief moment and then quickly charged off into the smoke. Lloyd watched them go and then turned back to Amata, who was looking up at him with disbelief, horror and joy in her eyes. She regarded, with horror, the metal rebar in his chest: an obviously terrible wound, yet he was apparently ignoring it.

"Amata?" he said, kneeling down to her. "I've… come to a realization."

"...Yeah?" she asked weakly, still not believing that he was alive.

He tore off the remainder of the left arm of his jumpsuit before tearing away the wrapping on his lower left arm, the bandaging that concealed his first gunshot wound from just days earlier in the Super-Duper Mart. He ripped it off, revealing perfectly healed flesh. Not even a mark was left. Then, he tore off the bandaging around his midsection, revealing the gunshot he had received earlier that very day. There was a red mark, but the wound was closed and the skin looked merely bruised, seeming unnaturally healed.

"There's something seriously wrong with me..."

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	8. Dragged into the Underworld

"So… Need a hand up?" Lloyd offered. Amata stared at the rebar embedded through his torso, just underneath his right shoulder. He was also bleeding rather heavily from various wounds around his body. Through his torn jumpsuit, Amata watched one of them on his left kneecap seal and stop bleeding right before her eyes.

"Lloyd..." she breathed. She looked up into his green eyes. "You're alive..."

"Better than alive, I think," he said, again motioning for her to take his hand. She tentatively reached up and took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Once more, she looked at the metal scrap in his chest.

"How did you... what..." She looked into his eyes once more. "Lloyd, what the hell is going on?"

He shook his head. "I don't know." He looked down at the metal.

"Does... does it hurt?" she asked, unsure of herself and what she should do in this kind of situation.

"A little bit. A lot, actually," he said, taking a deep breath. She could see the telltale signs of pain in his face as he did so. "I'd kinda like to get this thing out."

"But... what if that, I don't know, makes it worse?" she asked, concern present in her voice.

"If I saw a couple'a flying pigs right now, I wouldn't bat an eyelash. Mostly because I think that maybe flying pigs could exist, due to the radiation present, but still..." He looked up at her after sitting down in a cross-legged fashion. "I think we'll pull it out and see what happens."

"Maybe you should take some Med-X first..." she said. He nodded and took out a syringe.

"Don't have it; I lost the backpack and the med kit." He sighed. "Okay, I guess I'll just... I'll just sit back while you pull."

"You want me to do it?" she asked, quite startled at this revelation.

He blinked. "Well… Yeah." He reached out and gently held her hand. "Look, Amata, I trust you with anything. Believe me—and I can't stress that enough—believe me that I am just as confused and frightened as you are right now. But I'd really, really like to get this thing out of my chest before we figure out what to do about whatever the hell is happening with me."

After a moment's silence, she nodded and knelt down to wrap her hands firmly around the metal.

"Just... just tell me if it hurts, alright?"

"It will; trust me, I know it will. Listen to me," he said, leaning forward. "You can't stop pulling. Yank on it if you have to. But no matter what, make it as quick as you can. I'll try to keep quiet, so as not to unnerve you."

"I'm already pretty goddamn unnerved," she said, trying to steady her breathing, which had increased due to her rising apprehension.

"Listen to me," he said, reaching up and touching her cheek. "You can do this. Be strong for me."

She nodded and pulled. Lloyd shrieked in pain.

"Fuck! I wasn't ready that time!" he shouted. She took her hands off the metal and felt squeamish at the sight of the fresh blood from the wound.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she said.

"Don't be, it was my fault," he grunted. "I thought we might do a countdown or something, I—forget it, just pull. Pull!"

She grabbed the metal again and pulled. He groaned loudly, which turned into a yell of pain. Amata felt terrible, but kept pulling, knowing that it had to come out no matter what. She swore she could hear, beneath his shouting, a sickly sound of flesh rubbing against metal. It sounded like a wet mop on a floor.

With a final sickly sound, the metal popped out of Lloyd's torso and he fell back. Amata, disgusted with the bloody hunk of rebar, threw it to the side. Though he had stopped shouting, Lloyd groaned loudly as he pushed himself up on his arms.

"Lloyd!" she said, kneeling down to help him up. Once she did so, he crushed her in a hug, holding her close. "Lloyd?"

"I love you," he said. He tightened his hug, burying his face in her hair.

"Uh... I love you too?" she replied, not quite sure how to react.

He pulled back, still holding onto her shoulders.

"No, no, you don't understand. I was at the top of that tower. Of that!" he said, pointing back at the large wreckage of the recently-toppled Washington Monument. "I rode that thing all the way to the bottom and I was positive, and I mean completely positive, that I was going to die."

He seemed to pause to give her a chance to respond. When words failed her, he continued.

"I could have died. I should have died! I'm alive!" he cried, a wide smile on his face. "Aren't you happy?"

Slowly, she nodded. "I am... but I'm also really, really confused and frightened, Lloyd... How, exactly, are you alive?"

He nodded. "I understand. Believe me, I'm confused too. Really, I have no idea what's going on and I'd like nothing more than to understand what's going on with me. But I'm alive! I'm alive!" He laughed and jumped back, throwing his fists into the air.

"Lloyd... Are you alright?" she asked, stepped forward.

"What? I'm fine! Perfect! Alive!" he said with a smile.

"But you're also jumping around like an idiot and saying the same things over and over," she pointed out. At that, Lloyd calmed down a bit and kept his feet on the ground.

"You're... you're right, I'm sorry." He took a few breaths. "It's just... it's not every day you completely convince yourself in a ten-second span that you're going to die... and then not!"

"I... I think I can understand. But let's handle one thing at a time, okay?" She looked around, trying to see through the thick smoke that still persisted in the area. "Where's Russ?"

He stopped in place. "Oh shit! I don't know!" Lloyd said, frantically looking around. "He was running right next to me... and then he took off, drawing some of the super mutant's fire... Oh shit, I hope he's alright... Russ!" he called out. "Russ!"

"Here boy!" Amata rang out, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Russ!"

Somewhere in the distance, amidst the ruins of the Maul, they could hear barking in response. They called out more, and soon enough, out of the dusty shadows emerged their most trusted canine friend, whom vigorously shook himself off as he approached to rid his coat of dust and dirt. They rushed over to him and knelt down to pet and hug him. He happily wagged his tail.

"He's a hell of a dog, isn't he?" Lloyd said, scratching the spot behind Russ' ears.

"He sure is." She took another look around. "And Jericho?"

"No idea..." he answered. He looked down at his hand, which Russ was licking. He then noticed his torso. Though his suit was torn and bloody, his wounds were sealed. They had scars still, but he already realized that they were going to go away. He just didn't know how soon this strange, abnormal process would take.

He looked up at Amata, who had noticed the same thing. "Lloyd... you're healing," she stated the obvious.

"Yeah... it's weird." He felt the top of his head, feeling a sizeable scar up there. "I think I cracked my head open, even though I was wearing a metal helmet... though I might have just broken the skin. My skull feels fine, I guess."

"So... a healing... power?" she put it rather bluntly.

"Makes me sound like a superhero. Perhaps it's just some kind of... regeneration," he said. "Really, I didn't even know I had it."

"So you don't know where it came from?" she asked. He shook his head.

"But... I remember, growing up, sometimes I would get small cuts and they would heal fast. My father always told me it was normal, that everyone heals from small cuts. But..."

"But what?"

He was still as he recalled the memory. "One time, when I was seventeen, I was handing my dad a scalpel and I cut myself. Slit my finger right open. It hurt, and my dad almost immediately stopped the surgery to wrap up my finger. About a week later, I took it off to change the bandage... and it was fine."

"And you never asked your dad about it?" she inquired.

"No. It just... kinda went away and we never talked about it."

"Lloyd... do you think your father knew about this... healing factor?" she asked, still trying to find the right words to refer to it.

"I wasn't born in the vault... we know that much. But I've never heard of anyone out here having... this," he gestured to his torso. The wound from the rebar's puncture was sealed, though it did still look gross. "If my father does know about it... I don't know. We still have to find him."

"Only now we need to find him for a bigger reason... or two equally important reasons." She paused. "Lloyd, I see somebody," she said, holding her submachine gun up, remembering well that they were still near the Maul, and the threat of super mutant attack was still quite high.

Lloyd turned around to see a figure approaching them through the dust. "Not a super mutant, too small," he said. He called out, "Jericho?"

"Who?" came a raspy female voice. The figure got closer.

"A ghoul..." Lloyd said. She wore leather armor with straps across her chest and was armed with an assault rifle. Her eyes were bright, an interesting contrast to her burnt-looking decrepit flesh. Her head had small tufts of red hair. A cigarette, unlit, hung loosely at her lips. She seemed relieved upon seeing the two humans.

"You tourists okay?" she asked as she approached.

"What?" Lloyd asked.

"Nothing, nothing, I meant humans," she said. She stopped about seven feet away from the pair and Russ, who growled softly but was held in check by Amata. "Did you two see what happened to the monument?"

Lloyd looked at Amata. "Uh... yeah. We saw what happened." When Amata didn't add anything else, he added, "From a… safe distance. We, uh, got separated in the confusion. But who are you?"

"I'm the sentry for Underworld, the ghoul city inside the museum back there," she pointed with her thumb. "My name's Willow, by the way."

"Underworld is nearby?" Lloyd asked.

She nodded. "Sure is. Right through the museum, past the giant skull archway. The residents aren't too crazy about humans, though, but if you don't cause trouble and your caps are good, I'll take you in. It's gotta be dangerous out here with monuments falling and such."

"What about Jericho?" Amata asked.

"Nice'a you to think about me, princess." They all turned as Jericho, his arc light helmet up and a lit cigarette in his mouth, approached.

"Jericho!" Lloyd exclaimed. "I'm glad you're alive."

"Kid? How the hell are you still walking? Weren't you at the top of that tower?" he asked.

Willow looked at Lloyd. "No, I wasn't," he answered.

"But you were-"

"I wasn't, Jericho. End of story. Now come on, we're headed into Underworld."

"Follow me, then," Willow told them. Jericho shook his head as Lloyd looked into Amata's uncertain eyes.

"Not here, not now," he whispered to her. "We'll tell him later." She nodded.

Right before they entered the building, Lloyd stopped them. "Oh, uh, hang on a minute," he said, looking back at the wreck of the Washington Monument. "I… forgot something." He turned to walk back towards it, but Jericho caught his arm.

"You fuckin' serious, kid?" he asked.

Lloyd shrugged him off. "It's important, Jericho," he said. "Just wait here with Amata."

"I'll come with," she offered, which Lloyd accepted. He, she and Russ went out to the ruins while Jericho and Willow followed; both of them had their weapons out to watch for super mutants.

"So, what are we looking for?" Amata asked as they neared the chunks of stone and the giant red corpse of the slain gargantuan.

"My backpack," he answered. "We can't leave it behind. Too many important things inside it."

"Where'd you wake up?" she asked.

"I, uh… don't remember, really. It was dusty and my head was foggy. We'll just have to look around."

As they picked through the wreckage, Jericho and Willow kept vigil on them from a distance. Knowing that they were out of earshot, Amata asked Lloyd, "What are we going to do about this healing factor, Lloyd?" She noted that another one of his wounds had closed up.

"I honestly don't know, Amata," he said, sitting on a chunk of debris. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I just… don't know. We need to find my backpack. We need to find my father."

Just as Amata was about to reply, Russ barked nearby. They looked over at the hound and observed him scratching the ground near a torn backpack.

"Well damn," Lloyd muttered as he approached. The backpack had indeed torn; its contents spilled out. The shotgun was smashed and useless and the hunting rifle's barrel was bent. The sniper rifle, fortunately, was in good condition, as was Lloyd's medical pack. "Let's just carry as much as we can."

They gathered up any ammo, food and medicine that they could. As they did, Amata quipped, "Hey, it's a good thing I was carrying the caps, huh?"

"That's for sure," he smiled. When they were done, they moved amongst the debris until they reached Jericho and Willow.

Willow looked at the two of them and the items they carried. "Safe distance, huh?"

Lloyd only replied, "Not as safe as I'd have liked."

Once more, they approached the front doors of the museum and entered. They walked past an entrance to a metro station located right in front of the ancient museum of natural history. "Right in here," Willow told them. "Past the lobby and straight on ahead."

"Thanks, Willow," Amata said.

"No problem, tourists." She turned to resume her sentry route just outside of the museum.

"I'm sorry, but why do you keep calling us that?" Lloyd paused and asked. Willow turned around.

"Well, here you are in our nation's capital, the once-great Mall, taking in the sights. You're not a rampaging super mutant, not a settling ghoul, not a raping raider and you're not from Talon Company, so you're a tourist."

Lloyd froze. "Talon Company?" He looked at Amata, who stared back. They both knew very well the implications that name carried, and the company's connection to Burke.

"Yeah. They've been around the area a lot lately. You do know them, right?" Willow asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. We do. Come on, let's get inside," he rushed.

As they entered the building, they walked past a round, burnt desk and into a larger room. A giant skeleton of a tyrannosaurus was broken in half, with the head lying on the ground alongside some other pieces. On the other side of the room was a massive, hairy animal, a mammoth, with one broken tusk. Lloyd and Amata marveled at the sight before their eyes rested on a gigantic archway at the end of the room. It was giant, bone-white and was carved so that the centermost and largest feature of it was a large, angry-looking skull. There were doors built in right beneath the teeth of the skull. Next to them, a barrel with fire burning in it rested upright.

"Underworld. Never been inside. Heard a lot about it, though," Jericho commented. "Fuck're we waiting for? I wanna get a drink."

"Nothing, let's go," Lloyd replied. "I'm just hoping they have a trader so was can get some new armor."

"Maybe they'll have a spare backpack, too," Amata threw in.

"How many caps we got?" Lloyd asked Amata. She checked her bag, pulling out a small bag.

"I don't know. A sizeable amount, judging by the weight of it. We'll have to see if they have some kind of scale inside," she said.

"Let's hope they do. I'd hate to have to count by hand..." he said. With that, they entered the steel doors to Underworld. It was a large room they walked into, with staircases on either side that led up to a balcony that ran the length of half the room. They could already see ghouls in various states of attire, but almost immediately, they were approached by a ghoul wearing a light blue RobCo jumpsuit.

"Well would'ja lookit that, we got ourselves a smoothskin visitor. Whooo-eee, we ain't seen one of your kind in a long time." His gravelly voice contradicted the apparent enthusiasm of his words, or intentional lack thereof. Lloyd couldn't figure out if he was happy or pissed off.

"This is Underworld?" Amata asked, looking around.

"Yup, smoothskin. Underworld. The only safe place for ghouls and ghoulkind in all of D.C. We're here, out of sight and out of mind," he replied.

Amata spoke, "It's safe here? In the middle of the Maul?"

The ghoul dismissively shrugged. "The super mutants leave us alone, I guess because they don't like eating ghoul flesh or whatever it is they do with the unghoulified wasters they catch out there." Lloyd and Amata both knew the truth about what the super mutants did, and both realized that whatever the process to turn people into super mutants is must not work on ghouls. "As for slavers and raiders, they don't usually come this far into the city, so it's not bad. Really, the Brotherhood of Steel members are the only guys we gotta worry about. Everyone else isn't so bad."

"The Brotherhood? What's your beef with them?" Lloyd asked. His experiences with the Brotherhood had so far been pleasant, or at the very least, friendly.

The ghoul scoffed. "Bastards. They don't seem to be able to tell us apart from the super mutants, or the ferals. Maybe they just don't care. At least they have the common courtesy to miss most of the time. Still... Bigots. Anyway, the hell happened to you anyway, kid? Lose a fight with a pissed-off lawnmower blade?" the ghoul said, referencing Lloyd, his blood and his shredded Vault 101 jumpsuit.

"Uh... nothing. Just some trouble getting in. We're fine to come in here, right?" he asked. "Being smoothskins and all."

The ghoul got a good laugh out of that. "Well, you're a polite one, aren't ya? Betrays the torn and bloody appearance you got going on there." He paused to chuckle, then straightened up and answered Lloyd seriously. "Look, don't bother us and we won't bother you. You're free to come and go, trade, sleep, whatever. Just leave whatever trouble that's following you at the door, 'cause we don't want it. We got a nice little deal goin' on down here. We'd like to keep it nice."

"Better not stay for long, then," Lloyd said.

"What?" the ghoul asked.

Lloyd raised a brow. "Trouble's got a way of following us."

"Haha, I like that, kid. Name's Winthrop, by the way."

Lloyd stuck out his hand. "Lloyd Freeman. This is Amata Almodovar, Jericho and my dog is Russ."

Winthrop took Lloyd's hand and shook it. "Not every smoothskin could stand to shake a ghoul's hand, ya know. I like that." Amata similarly stuck out her hand to shake, though Jericho did not.

"What do you do around here, Winthrop?" Lloyd asked.

"Me? I keep every pre-war hunk of junk around here in operating condition. We've got lights, water and ventilation all running off the crap this place used to have for the tourists. I've done a good job so far, but..." his raspy voice trailed off.

"But what?" Amata asked.

"It's just that I'm not sure how much longer we can keep it up."

Lloyd tilted his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"We've scavenged just about every single bit of scrap metal from the places we can safely get to. We're scraping the bottom of the barrel, here. Hell, soon I'll have to disassemble poor old Cerberus for parts." He pointed up to a Mister Gusty robot, a bot not unlike a Mister Handy unit, with a round body supported by a small thruster, with three arms and three eyes at the ends of metallic stalks. The Mister Gutsy robots were built for war, painted green and typically armed with various implements of death at the ends of their arms.

"Sorry to hear that," Lloyd said. "Is there any way we could help?"

The ghoul seemed to perk up a bit. "Odd to hear from a smoothskin... but judging by your outfit, you must get around quite a bit. Think you could find some scrap metal for us? We don't have much, but I can trade ya whatever I can for some. We got some stuff around here we might not need, but a smoothskin like you could use."

"What kind of stuff? I wouldn't want to take anything needed," he replied.

"Well, we got stimpaks, but the doc keeps us healed up so we don't really need 'em. We also got a ton of Rad Away and Rad-X. I mean, what good are those to us? We ghouls are immune to rads as it is. I can trade ya any of those three for a few bits of scrap metal. There's all kinds of scrap out there... old machines, robots, whatever. Thing is, these days I don't really like goin' out there too much. Super mutants and Brotherhood an' all."

"Well, if we ever come across any and happen to be in the neighborhood, we'd be happy to help," Lloyd told the ghoul.

"Well that's nice to hear stranger, especially coming from a smoothskin," he said, smiling. It was an odd sight to see a face devoid of skin smile, but Lloyd and Amata tried to hide their discomfort.

"Say, Winthrop... what can you tell us about this place, Underworld?" Amata asked.

He scratched his burnt head. "We were driven underground... um... about fifty years ago, I think. Between the super mutants, the beasts and you crazy humans, it's not safe up there. So we stay down here, out of sight and out of trouble. We get a few smoothskins here and there, but we don't really trust them. You're not gonna give us more reasons to not be trusting, are ya?"

"Of course not," Lloyd answered immediately. "Well, I hope not, anyway."

"Ya know kid, ya really do look like shit," he said, looking at the blood and dirt covering the human youth. "Ya need a shower?" he asked.

Lloyd and Amata were silent. "A shower?" she finally broke the silence.

"Yeah, you know, water to wash up in."

"How many caps?" Lloyd said.

"Well... we never really charged for use of it. It's just kinda a humane thing to do, ya know? Give folks the privilege of being clean. Interested?" he asked.

Lloyd looked at Amata to gauge her reaction and then back to Winthrop. "Yeah, I'd say we are." He looked down at his shredded jumpsuit. "Also, we'd like to find a trader so I can get some nice replacement clothing. And... I suppose a place for the night. It's getting late."

"Yeah, we can help with all of that. But listen, what happened out there? Lot of heard a big noise and a hell of a ground shaking. None of us are too keen on going outside to see if a new nuke has fallen, ya know?"

"The... Washington Monument fell," Lloyd said.

"How the hell'd that happen?" Winthrop asked. "That thing survived the apocalypse."

"A giant super mutant smashed it... presumably for fun," Lloyd answered. He heard Jericho cough behind him. "The tower toppled over it, killed it instantly."

"Stupid super mutants..." Winthrop muttered. "Well, that's that then. Lemme give you a tour of the Underworld concourse here, show you around, ya know, introduce you to some of the folks. I think you two are gonna like it here."

* * *

"I do say, what has your attention?" Allistair Tenpenny, the eccentric and extremely wealthy owner of Tenpenny Tower, asked his trusted business associate, a shady and tall man known only by the name of Mister Burke. Burke wore a new, clean white business suit and his usual black fedora, the rim of which barely touched his sunglasses.

He was looking through a pair of binoculars, far into the distance of the D.C. ruins. "The Washington Monument just fell."

"What?" Tenpenny said, springing to his feet as quickly as his age of eighty would allow him. He picked up a sniper rifle he used for hunting and looked through the scope, though it was really quite unnecessary. The Washington Monument had been a defining landscape mark for generations, and now it was gone. "Well, I'll be."

"A shame, really," Burke said as he picked up his sunglasses and put the binoculars down. "It was a nice landmark. The novelty that it had to happen today, with such an important meeting ahead of us, is an interesting coincidence."

A man opened the doors that led to the outside balcony of Tenpenny Tower's top level. He wore combat armor; thick plates of tough material that covered the torso and shoulders. His, as well as all of Tenpenny Tower's security, was painted tan. "Your guests have arrived, Mister Burke."

"Good," he replied in his sly, snake-like tone. "Send them out."

The man nodded and motioned for a few individuals to step outside. Burke knew Commander Jabsco, the leader of Talon Company. Behind him was an old man few people ever saw in person. The man, who was just beneath Tenpenny in age, was Daniel Littlehorn, a most devious and cunning man who ran Littlehorn & Associates, operating out of an unknown (to most) location in the Capital Wasteland. Behind him were two wastelanders, young fellows that Burke did not recognize.

"Gentlemen! Please, do come outside and have some lemonade," Tenpenny offered. The four of them each took a seat in comfortable, cushioned chairs. Burke took his next to Tenpenny himself.

"Jabsco, Mister Littlehorn, I welcome you to Tenpenny Tower," Burke greeted them. "As you know, there's some business we need to discuss."

"Two things," Littlehorn said. "The first, though, is your personal revenge."

"I was going to save that for last, my good man. But yes, my... revenge." Burke took out a small tin case of Mentats and popped one into his mouth. He rolled the tablet around in his mouth a little. "Littlehorn, you, more than anyone else, can understand revenge."

"I understand balance," the old man replied. "I understand keeping the wastes clean of ultimate good and ultimate evil. It stems chaos. You do understand the implications of chaos, I trust?"

"I do, of course. It's also the second reason we're here."

Jabsco was slowly turning his beloved knife, Occam's Razor, in his hands. He wore metal armor comprised of plates of refined steel with spikes on the shoulder plates. On his head he wore a combat helmet which was painted black. He decided to speak, interrupting the two of them. "The Washington Monument fell. I heard over the radio that my men had to pull out of the area, further delaying our capture of the Capital Building."

Burke held up a hand. "In good time, Commander, the Maul will be under our control. But there are other things to worry about. I assure you that I will invest time and research into learning what happened to the monument. But first..."

"The pair from Vault 101," Littlehorn finished for him. Burke nodded.

"Exactly. I've summoned you both here today for two things, the first of them being the formation of an official contract on the heads of two particularly frustrating former vault dwellers. I've had plenty of time to learn their names, a basic description of both of them, as well as their goals and places they might visit."

"They fucked you up good, huh?" one of the wastelanders asked. He had dirty blond hair, tanned skin and wore sunglasses. He had leather armor and a sniper rifle.

"Jabsco, I assume they aren't with you, as you never bring recruits to our meetings," Burke said, eyeing the two strangers. "Littlehorn?"

"These two men are agents of mine. The first is Sam Warrick, a sniper with a personal interest in your two targets. The second is Laszlo Redford, a man with similar talents, minus the personal motivation."

"That boy's got a sniper on his back that I want," Sam Warrick said. "I'll hunt him, and bring you his head, but all I want is that sniper. And the caps reward, of course."

"And your friend?" Burke asked.

Laszlo spoke for himself. "In it for the money, and because Sam here's in it as well. Gonna gloat about it to him when I win the prize," he smiled.

"Jabsco, put the word out to your men as well," Burke said. "I've officially decided upon a price. Five thousand for the both of their heads. Not separate, not blown to pieces, but together and intact."

Jabsco smiled. "Talon Company is on it," he said, casting a glance over to Sam and Laszlo.

"Excellent. I'll have my secretary draw up the contract as soon as possible," Littlehorn said. "Now that that's out of the way, we have a larger problem. But Warrick and Redford, you may leave, as it doesn't concern you. You may begin hunting as soon as you'd like."

The two of them got up to leave. When they were gone, Burke spoke first.

"The Enclave." They all nodded. "We don't know much about them other than rumors we've picked up from the west coast. The bare facts are that they are made up of the remnants of the pre-war United States government and that they attempted to take over all of the west coast… and failed."

"And now they've been sighted out east, specifically, the Capital Wasteland," Jabsco pointed out.

"And their plans?" Tenpenny inquired.

Burke answered, "We haven't the slightest idea. They've sent out scouts, and the scouts have responded to all attempts at communication with hostility. We know very little about the Enclave, and what they plan to do, or how large their numbers are. We do know they are in possession of advanced power armor and other technologies which we don't have at our disposal. The Enclave have a severe technological advantage over any other group in the Capital Wasteland, save for, perhaps, the Brotherhood of Steel and its Outcasts."

"There doesn't seem to be much we can do about them," Littlehorn said. "We don't even know where their base of operations is located. We can only watch and wait and see what their move is."

"And when they do move, on whatever it is, we'll determine their motives and see if they can be a friend or a foe." Burke stood up. "Gentlemen, it's getting late and the sun is dipping down. I suggest we conclude our chat and I bid you all good day."

"I wouldn't worry about those two," Littlehorn said as he stood up. "There's been others like them before. There's nothing about them that makes them any different than any of the other crusaders of justice we've killed in the past."

"Of course," Burke said, nodding his head in agreement. "It's only a matter of time." He shook Littlehorn's hand, formally sealing the deal.

* * *

Underworld, as it turned out, was the best thing that could have happened to Lloyd and Amata in their current condition. Running low on food and water, they were able to make good deals with the trader, a ghoul woman named Tulip, to buy new rations of food, water, ammunition and a brand new set of combat armor for Lloyd.

Tulip was a very nice trader, even if she came off as a bit strange. They got the impression that she didn't receive much company in her store and was lonely. But she was certainly polite, handing the two smoothskins everything they traded for with a genuine smile.

The combat armor Lloyd purchased had a comfortable, form-fitting undersuit beneath forest-green plates that protected the torso, shoulders, legs and came with tough, weathered boots. It also included a belt of small packs, and with what Lloyd could salvage from his jumpsuit's combat harness, he was easily able to convert and customize the combat armor to carry more and be even more useful. Lloyd regretted having lost his combat helmet at the top of the Washington Monument, as otherwise he'd have had a complete set.

They also had time to meet and socialize with many of the unique Underworld residents, including Quinn, the resident caravan trader, a job not unlike Billy Creel's back in Megaton. They also met Snowflake, a ghoul with, strangely enough, a full head of white hair, who for only a few caps gave both Lloyd and Amata haircuts. He was really quite pleased to actually have someone with hair to work on, as ghoul hair was rarely anything more than a patch or tuft.

They were informed that they could probably get a bed in the doctor's office, also known as the Chop Shop, for reasons the two humans didn't want to know about. Doctor Barrows had a few extra beds, with nice clean sheets, too, that he grudgingly agreed to let them use, though Jericho didn't like the idea and went off to find somewhere else to sleep. Inside the clinic, on the other side of a wall with reinforced glass windows, Lloyd saw two creatures he had never seen before. They were like ghouls, only bright green and they glowed with a radioactive-looking luminescence.

"Glowing ones," Barrows said when he noticed Lloyd observing them. "Not too many people see a few up close and live."

"What are they?" Lloyd asked. "Ghouls?"

"The worst kind. Ferals are insane, but these things... they're insidious. Evil. Cunning, as it were. They're ghouls who spent too much time swimming in pools of radioactive waste, as least that's what we assume. They have powers that revolve around radiation, so they're deadly as hell to smoothskins." They observed them as the glowing ones moved about the room, hunched over and moaning.

"How'd you capture these two?" Lloyd asked, watching as one lurched over and clawed at the ground with its green, glowing hands. He realized he could see their skeletal structure through the skin, as if their very flesh was somehow translucent, allowing one to witness the bones beneath the blood and the veins of their bodies.

"Like I said, deadly to smoothskins. They can't hurt us outside of clawing at us. We captured these two a while ago. I study them to try and figure them out, you know? I call these two Ethyl and Meat. Hard to tell them apart sometimes, but I know the differences." Barrows set down a clipboard he was carrying and writing notes on and closed the shutters of the glowing one zoo. "It's late. I'm gonna shut off the lights for the night. Have a good one, smoothskin. I'll see you in the morning."

Before they went in for the night, Lloyd looked across the room and saw someone, a smoothskin as a ghoul would put it, lying in a bed. Lloyd didn't make anything of it, and after taking off his combat armor he crawled into a comfortable bed alongside Amata. Loyally, Russ curled up at the foot of the bed. Doc Barrows hit the lights, and all went dark, save for a faint green glow from behind the shutters on the opposite wall.

"Lloyd..." Amata whispered.

"Yeah?" he replied, equally as quiet.

"I think we should talk about this... healing that you do," she said.

"I took off all the bandages from past wounds. All healed up," he told her. "I like before, I still don't know why."

"We can't keep it a secret for long, especially with Jericho following us around," she said. "Sooner or later, he'll know."

"I don't need another reason for someone to come after us," he replied. "Maybe some crack nut job will get it into his head that my blood or something can cure diseases, or hell, maybe even bestow the same immunity by being drunk. That's the last thing I want someone thinking."

"I know what you mean, but..."

"But what?"

"What if there's more to this than some kind of healing factor? What if there are... more adverse side effects?" She shifted in the bed slightly. Lloyd slid his arms around her waist.

"I don't know anything about that. I feel fine, I really do." He leaned forward and kissed her. "I don't want this to get in the way of my life. It's there... but we don't need to keep thinking about it."

"I'd like that, but... we can't just ignore it."

"I don't think we can ignore it... but we don't need to dwell on it."

"Yeah... I guess so." She shifted once more. "You know something? I think this is the first nice bed we've been in since we came out here."

"Yeah... I think so too." He brushed the hair out of her face. In the dim green light, she looked beautiful. He saw her flash a pretty smile. They leaned closer.

The door to the Chop Shop suddenly burst open. It was Nurse Graves, Doc Barrows' assistant. "Kid, your friend's in trouble!"

Lloyd leapt up and ran to the door and Amata followed quickly, with Russ chasing after them. The concourse was still lit up, and Lloyd watched as Jericho toppled over the second-floor railing and fell on his back. He groaned loudly as he rolled over, trying to get to his feet.

"Jericho!" Lloyd shouted as he ran to him. At ten feet away, he stopped in his tracks as a ghoul in black leather armor leapt down and landed on his feet between them and the old raider. He stood up with his back to Lloyd. Lloyd considered himself tall, standing at six feet and five inches, but this ghoul seemed to tower over him still, at least seven feet tall.

The ghoul violently, almost mercilessly, kicked Jericho in the stomach. Then he did so again two times before Lloyd grabbed his shoulder and pulled.

In one swift moment, Lloyd was back in Vault 101, in a period of his life between age sixteen and nineteen, when it seemed that every month he would get in a fistfight with Butch DeLoria and the Tunnel Snakes. Lloyd became rather good at these fights, too, by the third one.

And so, when this tall ghoul threw a punch in Lloyd's direction as he was turned, Lloyd saw it coming and ducked beneath it. Seeing an opening, he punched the ghoul in the chin with his right fist. The ghoul stumbled back a few feet, apparently surprised. He rubbed his skinless chin and looked at Lloyd with his piercing, dull blue eyes.

"Just leave my friend alone," Lloyd said, holding up his hands. "There's no need for violence." All around him, ghouls looked on. He got the impression that they knew something he didn't about this ghoul.

"Too late," the ghoul said, and lunged at Lloyd with a kick which hit his left side. Lloyd was able to meagerly block it and try launching a counter-attack, but this ghoul was clearly an experienced fighter, well beyond the capacity of the Tunnel Snakes and whatever hand-to-hand experience Lloyd might have picked up. As the ghoul slammed his elbow into Lloyd's head, he began to realize that the only reason he landed that first punch was due to the ghoul underestimating Lloyd.

Clearly, this ghoul wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

He dropped Lloyd in seconds. It was only when Russ ran forward, moving between Lloyd and the ghoul and growled, and when Amata drew her SMG and aimed, that a loud gravelly voice called out, "Charon. Enough."

The ghoul stopped moving, dropping his fists. He turned and walked away. Lloyd and Amata watched, rather flabbergasted that the ghoul, apparently named Charon, was just walking away as calmly and coolly as he was. Amata helped Lloyd up, and Jericho, still groaning, got up to his feet. Lloyd was approached by Quinn, the ghoul caravan trader.

"Look kid, uh... your buddy, he was up in The Ninth Circle, Azrukhal's joint, and he got a little drunk... and thought he could pick a fight with the bouncer, Charon. Lotta smoothskins have made the same mistake." Quinn shrugged. "Just... you know, thought you should know what happened."

Lloyd nodded. "Thanks, Quinn. Amata?" he said, turning to her. "Help Jericho to bed. I'm gonna talk to this... what was his name, Quinn? The bar owner?"

"Azrukhal."

Lloyd said it a few times to get it into his memory. "Azrukhal. Alright."

"He'll be the one in the white suit," Quinn said, before nodding and walking away.

"Lloyd, just be careful, okay?" she said.

He nodded, saying, "I will."

A moment later, he was walking through the large wooden doors into The Ninth Circle, the bar owned by the ghoul known as Azrukhal. He hadn't gone inside earlier, as Winthrop said it was a sleazy joint where the worst ghouls hang out. He stepped inside and looked around. He saw Azrukhal, standing behind the bar and talking to two ghouls. He also saw Charon, standing still as a statue and just as quiet in one corner. The tall ghoul's gaze was locked on Lloyd, who couldn't read his expression.

Just then, a female ghoul in tattered rags walked up to Charon. Her frame was small, and she nervously rubbed her hands together. "Excuse me, I was just wondering-"

"No," came his immediate response.

She stammered a little. "I, I was just wondering if-"

"Leave me alone."

"I just want to say-"

"Shut up."

Looking utterly defeated and crushed, she quickly walked away. Charon's gaze moved back to Lloyd.

Lloyd didn't know what to make of what he had just seen. Dropping it, he walked up to the bar. "Azrukhal, isn't it?" he asked the finely-dressed ghoul.

The ghoul, Azrukhal, turned his dark eyes to Lloyd. He spoke in a distinctive, rough voice, every so often pausing mid-sentence to take a wheezing-like breath. "Well, lookee here. We got us a smoothskin I ain't ever seen before here in the Ninth Circle. You have me at a disadvantage, smoothskin. I, of course, am Azrukhal. And you are...?"

"Freeman. Lloyd, Freeman."

"Freeman... heheh, I like that. Well Mr. Freeman, this is a place of liquor and a few other pick-me-ups. If there's anything at all that I can do for you, please... let me know." He smiled, showing yellow teeth.

"I'm here about a small disturbance. I'd... like to know what happened with that ghoul in the corner."

"That's Charon," he answered. "He's… Let's just say... well, he's a loyal employee. Don't mess with me, and he won't mess with you. Lots of smoothskins have learned that lesson..." he chuckled darkly.

"Loyal? Just how loyal of an employee is he?" Lloyd asked, remembering how Charon just walked away when he was ordered to.

"Now that's the interesting thing," Azrukhal said, indicating Lloyd to come closer and listen. "You see, I hold his contract, which makes him ultimately loyal to me, which makes me his employer. He will do what I ask, when I ask, all without question." Azrukhal smiled. "The most convenient kind of loyal."

Lloyd immediately began to question the moral implications of what he had just been told when Azrukhal continued.

"You see, Charon grew up amongst a very, very interesting group of enterprising individuals. They... well, I guess if you were to put it bluntly, you could say they... brainwashed him. He is absolutely loyal to whoever holds his contract. Unfailing, unflinching, until the day his employment ends and his contract is passed on to a new owner."

Lloyd looked back at Charon, who still had not relented in his stare.

"Watch this," Azrukhal said, smiling. "Charon, blink three times."

The ghoul did as he asked. Azrukhal laughed and the sadistic tendencies of Charon's owner began to dawn on Lloyd. He looked back at Azrukhal, his brow furrowing. "And Charon is fine with this?"

"Oh, he is, but only with the contract and not with me. I have no doubt no doubt that he holds no end of animosity towards me. Charon fancies himself a noble spirit, and everything about me offends and disgusts him." Azrukhal laughed and Lloyd once more stole a glance at Charon, seeing his blue eyes eyes follow Azrukhal's laughing face. Lloyd could see it then, the subtle hatred, as if streaks of lightning were shooting through the air from Charon's eyes.

"But as long as he is my employee," Azrukhal continued after calming down, "he is as gentle as a teddy bear... until I say so."

Lloyd looked back at Azrukhal. He couldn't begin to find the words to describe how much this borderline slave labor insulted him on every level. It was demeaning, degrading and dehumanizing. "He doesn't say much, does he?" he asked, a lick of accusation finding its way into his tone.

"His company is rather refreshing, is it not? But don't mistake his brevity for stupidity. That has been the mistake of many a smoothskin. Underestimating an opponent has been the last mistake of far too many individuals throughout history." He chuckled quietly. Lloyd thought he caught a hidden meaning within those words.

"What do you make him do? Aside from blink."

Azrukhal laughed at that. "Watches over the bar, keeps the drunks in line… Pretty much, all I have to do with him is point at something. And Charon hurts that something."

Lloyd crossed his arms. "So he's your slave."

Azrukhal's smile vanished. "No, he is not. Sir, you insult me. I do not believe in slavery." He leaned forward, close to Lloyd's face. "It is an abomination."

"From where I'm standing, you're seemingly a hypocrite," Lloyd pointed out.

Azrukhal leaned back. "I am a firm believer in personal choice. To force another person into bondage is unthinkable." He held up a finger and said, "Chains are earned, never forced. Charon made some choices that landed him in my employ. The matter of our contract is between him and me... no one else."

"I haven't known you long, Azrukhal. But I know that what you're doing to Charon makes you no better than a slaver." When Azrukhal was about to respond to that claim, Lloyd spoke once more. "I want to buy his contract from you."

That gave the ghoul pause. "Oh, do you now?" A new smile found its way onto his face. "Charon is a very valuable asset to me and the Ninth Circle. What did you have in mind?"

Lloyd looked at him in his dark eyes. "Five-hundred caps."

Azrukhal laughed. "Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous. Quadruple that amount."

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow. "Two thousand?"

Azrukhal laughed. "That's correct. Two thousand and you can have the poor, tortured soul that is Charon," he said, mostly sarcastically.

Lloyd's brow furrowed more, and he turned to leave. As he did so, he looked over at Charon, whose expression had changed to an unreadable state. But it wasn't the angry one from before. "Soon enough," was all Lloyd said, and with that, he left.

Charon watched him go. For a while afterwards, he continued watching the door Lloyd had left from.

* * *

Lloyd awoke the next morning as he had every other day in the wastes, only this one differed in that he woke up in a comfortable bed. Doc Barrows had come in and turned the lights on, waking the four of them up. They stretched and suited up, Lloyd once more slipping into his new combat armor, as they packed up their things and prepared for another day in the wastes.

"What do we do now, Lloyd?" Amata asked. Lloyd paused.

"I hadn't thought about it. I guess we go back to Three Dog and... explain what happened." He sighed and sat down on the bed. "It won't be easy, that's for sure."

"I suppose not." She looked over, across the room, and saw the same woman Lloyd had seen last night. She hadn't moved since then. Curiously, she walked over and touched the woman's shoulder, rolling her over. She was around thirty, or in her late twenties, with fiery orange hair. "Doctor? Is she... dead?" she asked Barrows.

The ghoul doctor turned around and saw Amata standing next to the woman. "I'm afraid she's going to be out for a while. She's not well at all. Don't worry though, I'm sure the rest of Reilly's Rangers will show up soon and take her home."

Lloyd walked across the room, past Jericho and Russ and asked, "Reilly's Rangers?"

"Oh, right, you two are new around here. They're a mercenary company that bases itself out of the D.C. ruins. That's Reilly," he indicated the woman. "What was left of her armor had her name stenciled on it. I assume she's their leader. She was in a pretty bad way when they found her outside Underworld."

Lloyd looked down at the woman, and back at Amata. "Can we speak to this woman? Reilly, I mean?" he asked. Barrows scratched the back of his neck.

"I don't know if it's such a good idea," he said.

"I'd like to very much speak with her," Lloyd said. "If she was hurt, her friends might have been hurt. Besides, she looks alright now. I have a history in medicine and I know a patient who can walk from a patient who can't."

Barrows sighed. "Oh alright, I'll wake her up. I just hope her body can handle the strain. Humans are so fragile."

He walked over to Reilly, pulling out a syringe as he did so, and stood by her side. He took a moment to find a vein and injected her with it. "Wake-up juice," he called it, and Lloyd wasn't too interested in learning just what was in it.

Lloyd and Amata watched as the woman's eyes slowly opened and she shifted slightly in the bed. She leaned up, groaning a little. She looked up at the pair. "What... where am I? What... what happened?" she asked.

"Underworld," Lloyd answered.

"How long have I been out?" Reilly asked, quickly regaining complete consciousness. She rubbed her head.

"Not long, thank goodness," Amata answered.

"Right... I can't... remember what I was dong..." Reilly put her hand on her forehead. "Wait... I remember... oh, shit!" she cried, trying to get out of the bed. She grimaced in pain, and was held down by Lloyd and Amata. "My men... My team! What happened to them?"

Lloyd spoke calmly and directly to her. "I don't think you're in any condition to be up and about at the moment." Burrows nodded his agreement.

She looked up at Lloyd. "That's not the way I do things, kid." She did stop struggling, though, and sat back. "Do you have any idea what it could do to my reputation if word got around that Reilly of Reilly's Rangers was laid up in a hospital bed?"

"My apologies, I... didn't know who you were," Lloyd answered.

She shook her head. "That's okay kid, don't sweat it. The wasteland's a big place. We're guns for hire; the best merc group in the Capital Wasteland. If you need something done in there, you seek us out." Her cocky smile faded as she groaned once more and put her head in her hands.

"You sound terrible. Maybe we shouldn't have woken you up so early," Amata said.

"Heh. I look worse than I feel, trust me. And I'm a fine-lookin' lady." She looked up to the two of them. "But that's not what's bothering me. I'm just worried about the rest of the Rangers. I don't even know if they're still alive."

Lloyd could tell she was certainly dedicated to her team. "Why don't you tell us the whole story?" Lloyd asked.

Reilly nodded and steadied her breathing. "We were mapping out the Vernon Square part of the downtown ruins and got jumped by a super mutant ambush party. Usually it isn't a problem, but this group was bigger than usual. They dragged a lotta centuars and other abominations along with'em. We fought our way into the Our Lady of Hope Hospital, hoping to find cover."

"Let me guess," Amata said. "More super mutants inside?"

"You got it, girl. More of the ugly bastards just kept coming. We fought our way to the roof and found a way across the street to the Statesman Hotel next door. The super mutants kept following us... howling. Like they were driven by bloodlust or something. Once we were in the hotel... the only way to go was… up," she groaned.

"Bad move, I'm guessing," Lloyd said.

Reilly nodded once more. "Very bad move," she agreed. "But we had no choice! On the way we lost Theo, one of my guys. We were unable to get the ammo case off of his body as we were pushed onwards. So, guns almost dry, we hit the roof of the Statesman."

"Last stand?" Amata asked.

Reilly looked up at her. "Last stand? Well, we hoped not. We figured we'd get up there and get a better signal to radio the Brotherhood of Steel for help. Problem is, help never arrived. Vernon Square is so thick with super mutants I don't think anybody could slip through… if anybody even got the S.O.S. that is."

"So that leaves them up there. How'd you get down?" Lloyd asked.

"My bad idea, I'm afraid. I had a Stealth Boy which allowed me to slip off the roof unnoticed. The plan was to get back and get some help. I was almost out of there when a super mutant jumped me. Damn near ripped my arm off in the process. Last thing I remember was falling down in a culvert." She looked away and sighed. "Some rescue attempt, huh?"

Lloyd nodded. "Alright. We want to help you."

"We do?" Jericho spoke up.

Amata spoke up, "Ignore him. How can we help?"

She looked up at them. "Get the Rangers home. Please, that's all I want. I don't care how you do it. And if they're gone… I want to hear it from someone alive. I want to know that help eventually came for them, even if it didn't matter at all. They deserve that much. They're a good team."

Lloyd looked at Amata. Surprisingly, she spoke, "Don't worry Reilly. We'll do it."

Reilly let out a heavy breath of air. "I was really holding my breath on that one I think. I wasn't sure what you were going to say. All I ask is that you hurry. I don't know how much longer they'll be able to survive up there."

"We'll leave as soon as possible," Lloyd told her.

"I also recommend that you find the body of Theo, one of my men. He was carrying our main ammo supply." She looked down at their wrists. "Here, let me punch the box code and some better directions into your Pip-Boy there." She quickly did so for both of them. "Neat little tech, by the way. Haven't seen one of these in a hell of a long time."

"Where's Theo's body?" Lloyd asked.

"We lost him on one of the stairwells on the second floor of the Statesman Hotel. He almost made it... but one of the muties hit him with a frag grenade. Blew him apart. If you can get to his ammo crate, there's a ton of rounds inside. Bring it up to the Rangers if you can, if not, as much as you can carry yourselves."

"Is there anything else?" Amata asked.

"We have a base not far from here. I'll plug in the coordinates for that as well. You're welcome to anything you need inside. Just punch in 'Reilly0247' at the gate. We have ammo, supplies, you name it."

"What can you tell us about Vernon Square?" Lloyd asked.

Reilly let out a disdainful snort. "If I wasn't asking for your help, I'd tell you to stay away. The whole area is thick with super mutants, and I don't know why. Butcher, our team medic, has always suspected that there's something in the area that they're looking for or being attracted to. The only worse place I can think of is the Maul."

Lloyd grimly nodded before inquiring, "What's the best way to get there from here? The quickest, I mean, no matter what we face going in."

"Your best bet is to stay with the metro tunnels. Head north from here, the metro entrance right outside Underworld, to metro central. Then, look for tunnels to the Dupont Circle station. Exit from there into what we call the 'dry sewers' and eventually you'll end up in Vernon Square, right next to the Our Lady of Hope Hospital."

Lloyd looked back at Jericho, who relented and said, "Yeah, yeah, I know the path, I went through there a couple years ago."

Lloyd smiled and looked back at the redheaded woman. "Any good news about the area?" he asked.

"Not much, I'm afraid... oh, wait! The hospital might, no, should have plenty of supplies for you. Medicine and food. We saw plenty of storerooms on the way to the roof, but didn't have time to raid them." Reilly sat back. "I... think that's everything. The Rangers are in your hands now, strangers."

"Oh, sorry," Lloyd apologized, "I'm Lloyd Freeman."

Amata extended her hand. "Amata Almodovar."

"Nice to meet both of you," she said, shaking Amata's hand. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Can you tell us about the rangers?" Amata asked.

"There's seven of us. Oh, wait... six. I forgot about Theo... Poor bastard. Besides myself, team leader of course, we have Brick, our heavy weapons specialist. Butcher is our medic. Miles is the team sniper, and Trigger is our latest recruit. A little fireball, she is. Donovan is our tech wizard. I've known most of them for years, and would trust each of them with my life."

Lloyd looked away for a moment. "Reilly... how will we know they're alive when we get there?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "Before I left, I gave them an order to keep broadcasting for help over the radio. Hopefully, when you get near their location, you'll pick it up."

Lloyd nodded. He looked into Amata's eyes, then back to Reilly. "It's time to rescue the rangers." He turned around. "Jericho, come on. We've got a new job to do."

Jericho groaned. "Just get me the fuck out of this city and we're good. Too many ghouls for my liking."

Russ barked. "Come on, boy," Amata ushered the dog over. She looked up at Lloyd. "Ready to go?"

"Of course. You?"

"Born ready," she said, smiling.

"What's this? A sudden burst of confidence?" he asked.

"Something like that," she said, before leading the way out of the Chop Shop.

Lloyd smiled. 'I love that girl,' he thought.

Reilly watched them go, hope rising in her heart. 'Maybe I'll see my team again after all…' she thought.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	9. To Rescue Reilly's Rangers

Lloyd and Amata's Pip-Boys both flared to life almost at the same time as they exited the metro tunnels. Lloyd checked his first. A new radio frequency had been picked up. Checking with Amata to confirm that she had picked it up as well, he turned it on. As his Pip-Boy's speakers crackled to life, a man's voice began to speak.

"Repeating message: This is Butcher of Reilly's Rangers sending out an S.O.S. on all known friendly frequencies. Our time is running out and we are dangerously low on ammunition. Our broadcast point is the roof of the Statesman Hotel. If assistance is not possible, please attempt to contact Reilly, who's made for Underworld inside the museum of history. We will continually broadcast as much as we can, but I'm afraid we don't have much time left. Butcher out."

A moment later, the same message began to repeat itself. Lloyd turned it off. "We're close." Amata and Jericho, who was still wearing his new arc-light helmet, both nodded. For a moment, they listened intently for any activity outside the tunnel they were crouching in.

"It's quiet..." Lloyd whispered.

"Too quiet," Amata replied, equally as quiet.

"The fuck're we hiding for?" Jericho asked, crouching behind the two of them alongside Russ. "If we're gonna save these fuckin' Rangers, we're not gonna do it by sneakin' around."

"Just shut up for a minute, Jericho. Reilly told us this place was thick with super mutants." He stuck his head around the corner of the concrete tunnel they had just exited the metro tunnels through, scanning his eyes across the city streets.

"I see the Statesman," he told them. "Across the street, to the, uh," he checked his Pip-Boy, "east."

"And the super mutants?" Amata asked.

"There's... none." Lloyd looked back at them. "None at all..."

"That's either really good or really bad..." Amata said, holding up her submachine gun and checking to ensure that it was ready to fire. "Is there a clear way across the street?"

Lloyd shrugged. "It looks clear, but we'll see," he reported. "Come on."

They began moving as stealthily as they could out of the tunnel and past the exterior metro train stop. They had to cross through a wrecked building by dropping out a second story window onto the street below, as the path up to the metro station was wrecked. Once the four of them were down on the sidewalk, Lloyd looked up and down the street, seeing plenty of destroyed cars and other pre-war structures that were similarly ruined, but no super mutants.

"Reilly said this place was a hot-zone for super mutants," Lloyd whispered. Amata nodded in reply.

He looked up to the Statesman Hotel, an impressive and intimidating structure that had held up better than most buildings around it from the apocalypse, save for one major detail: there was a metal radio tower that had fallen into the side of it, the base of which stemmed from the Our Lady of Hope hospital, right across the street from the hotel. The tower seemed very much like a bridge as it crossed the gap between the two buildings.

"That's how the Rangers got to the hotel," Amata observed. Lloyd nodded. Just as he did so, they heard a series of explosions and gunshots coming from the general direction of above them.

"The Rangers!" Lloyd exclaimed, realizing that they were still on the roof and in need of assistance. Amata nodded and took out her SMG while Jericho's grip tightened on his assault rifle. Lloyd looked to the hospital as he took out his hunting rifle, thankfully repaired while they were in Underworld. "Our best bet would be to follow in their footsteps. Go through the hospital, cross that metal tower and fight our way to the roof of the Statesman."

"Why don't we go through the front doors of the damn hotel and save us the trouble?" Jericho pointed out.

Lloyd thought about that, but shook his head. "That can't guarantee us a way up. The stairs might have caved in, or any other number of problems. We have to go the way we know will get us up there, because the Rangers and the super mutants have already gone the same way." Lloyd walked up to the hospital's front doors and noticed a bloody handprint on the dusty and broken glass. He looked back at the three of them. "You ready?" he asked. They nodded, and Russ wagged his tail. "Good, 'cause we're going in hard and fast. Let's do this."

He kicked the doors open, raised his gun to aim at any enemies and saw nothing. The entrance lobby, dirty and certainly filthy with grime and litter, was completely devoid of super mutants. Jericho chuckled. "Hard and fast, eh kid?"

Lloyd was about to come back with a snappy remark when they heard shouting from further inside the building. The voices were unmistakably those of super mutants; loud, angry and barely understandable with a jarring and broken English. Lloyd crouched down, and the other two quickly followed his action.

"Alright, alright, I'm open to some alternatives. I say we sneak," he said. Amata nodded.

"Uh, kid?" Jericho said, looking up over the counter. "Trouble."

Lloyd carefully stood up, his goggled eyes trying to adjust to the darkness of the hallway Jericho was looking towards. He could see something moving towards them, around the reception counter, but it wasn't a super mutant. No, it was much too short, and differently shaped. It crawled into the light that shined in from the windows.

Lloyd and Amata collectively gasped, and Russ barked. The creature that revealed itself was a horrible, twisted sight to behold. It had a man-like torso, with thick purple-blue veins running all over. Its neck was distended like a fat man's, which multiple chin-like sacks that bounced as it moved. Its arms, or lack thereof, ended right where they would sprout from the shoulders, all that remained was a boney knob on either side jutting out. Its face was twisted in an expression of pain and anguish, and from its bloated, thick mouth hung three elongated, fleshy tentacles, very much seeming like the monster's tongues, which moved and snaked around as if independent of the mutation's control.

Right below the waist, any and all human resemblance ended. Its lower half was comprised of a barely biologically-comprehensible fleshy mass it seemed to drag behind itself with six adult human arms that protruded from it which were used to walk, or crawl, along the ground. Its back, and part of the front of the torso, was littered with many boney spikes. But, perhaps most horrifying was that, emerging from the monster's back appeared a furry mass that had merged to its backside; skin and hair intermingling in the region where they had joined. It was a dog, and its head still moved independently, foaming and emitting gurgling barks as it swung its disgusting head from side to side.

The abominable mutant gurgled and seemed to move faster, apparently having noticed them. Pity, disgust and desperation guided Lloyd's aim as he raised his rifle and fired at the monster's head. The bullet caused the skull to cave in, much like a watermelon being hit with a hammer, and the thing slumped awkwardly to the side, very much dead. At least, its human portion. The dog that jutted from its backside seemed still alive, gnashing its teeth and crying out in pain.

Lloyd, although morbidly fascinated by the mutant, shot at the dog's neck to put it down. The canine portion of the mutant then ceased to move any further.

"Jesus..." Amata whispered, feeling like she was going to throw up. She looked at Jericho and asked, "What the hell is that thing?"

"Centaur," Jericho immediately replied. Lloyd held his rifle down and turned to face the raider.

"A centaur?" he asked, slightly confused by the creature's apparent name. Jericho nodded. Lloyd repeated the words again, only this time it was more of a statement than a question. "A centaur."

"Yeah, fuck does it matter what it's called? Long as they die," Jericho replied, shrugging.

Lloyd was still fixated on the name. "A centaur as in the mythological half-man-half-horse, centaur?" he asked incredulously.

"I don't fuckin' know why they're called what they're called, they're just called centaurs. They've been around as long as the super mutants have. They keep'em around like dogs."

"So those are people?" Amata asked, before correcting herself, "…were people?" Jericho looked back at her.

"No shit? It's got a man's body, don't it? You're from the vault, where they teach you all kinds of shit about mythologistics and math. You figure it out, princess." He turned back to find a very annoyed-looking Lloyd.

"I told you to stuff that shit, Jericho. And it's mythology. Now come on, we're wasting time talking about this." He motioned for Amata, who was visibly upset from Jericho's blast of insults, to follow him. She huffed a bit, but kept up behind him. Jericho was silent.

Lloyd resumed his crouching position, and moved into the hallway the centaur had come from, taking care to avoid the fleshy mutant. He couldn't see a thing, so he turned on his Pip-Boy's flashlight, which helped illuminate his path. He could hear super mutants talking up ahead, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Moving further into the hall, he took a right turn into another room and continued going in that direction.

He peeked around a corner, spying into a large room that was well-lit thanks to the wide, yet dirty, windows that took up a large portion of the outer wall. The room had many benches and various round reception desks. Lloyd guessed it was a waiting room of some kind. He could see the super mutants at last, specifically, one in the center of the room with a large metal pack slung over his shoulders. He carried a large gun, a minigun to be precise; a belt-fed monster that could, undoubtedly, tear them to pieces.

He looked back at the four of them. Amata was petting Russ with her free hand, trying to calm the growling canine. "Super mutants alright, a few of them. One big one in the middle with a powerful machine gun. I'll take care of him. We're going to rush out, catch them by surprise and take them out quickly. There's more to the left of him, and I want you two to focus on that group. Got it?"

They both quickly nodded. Jericho slid down his arc-like helmet and Amata held up her SMG in preparation. Lloyd counted quietly down from three, then ran out and aimed. He fired at the large super mutant's head, but missed. He fired again, hitting the brute in the shoulder, and once more just as the super mutant was raising his minigun. One last shot sunk into its green head, and it toppled over, just seconds before he would have started firing.

Lloyd had to reload. Luckily, Amata and Jericho were there to cover him from the other three super mutants that quickly and rather stupidly revealed themselves instead of taking cover. In mere moments, Amata and Jericho (along with Russ, who was doing his own part in the fight) quickly suppressed and killed the super mutants, gunning them down as they sent them into retreat. Amata in particular felt the adrenaline rushing through her body as she tightly gripped her automatic handheld weapon and fired.

Lloyd had finished his reloading, and noticed a new super mutant had charged into the far end of the room and was coming right for them. He raised his rifle, aimed and fired only one shot. The super mutant was put down. Lloyd stood up. "Alright... search the room for items and then let's move on. I want to clear the first floor of this place."

"Why? I thought we were here to rescue the Rangers," Amata pointed out. Lloyd nodded.

"Yeah, but this is a hospital. Like Reilly said, it's got to have lots of supplies. Medicine, namely. We're running low on Med-X and stimulant packs. In case one of us were to get hurt..." his voice trailed off. He looked to Amata, and knew that she was thinking the same thing he was. The medicine would be more for Amata than Lloyd, with the newly discovered and extremely mysterious healing factor of ambiguous origin Lloyd possessed. He coughed a bit to clear the air of the silence, and moved on to help Jericho strip the super mutant bodies of ammo and useful items.

Amata took a moment to look around the room and realize how bad everything smelt in the room. Then, she realized there hung fishnet bags of what could only be described as internal organs from the ceiling. She ran out of sight of them, feeling like she was going to throw up. Lloyd noticed and took off after her, and Russ followed.

"I can't stand these goddamn super mutants, I just can't," she said. Lloyd pulled her into a hug, not knowing much else to do.

"We'll get out of here soon. I know, it unnerves me too, but... we gotta put up with sights like that while we're out here in the wastes," he said as soothingly as he could. He looked back at the bags of gore suspended from the ceiling, observing as blood dripped and pooled underneath them.

She nodded against his chest, which was protected by his recently acquired combat armor. "Yeah... let's just clear this floor or whatever and get the hell out of this part of the city. I've seen too many super mutants lately for my liking."

"You killed a behemoth, remember?" Lloyd said as he pulled back and smiled. "If they knew that, they'd be the ones trying to avoid you."

She laughed a bit. "You have just as big a reason to be feared by them too, you know," she said. "What with that gargantuan slaying."

"Amata, please," he feigned modesty sarcastically, "I'm but a man."

"More like a kid," Jericho said sarcastically as he walked up. They quickly parted to face the old raider as he tossed a couple of clips of ammunition to them. "10mm and .32 rounds," he said and then walked off. He called back. "We doin' this or what, kid? I swear I can feel myself agin' when I hang out with you. Come on."

Lloyd shrugged, loaded his gun and walked after the grizzled raider with Amata and Russ behind him.

Reilly's word was good, on all accounts. While sweeping the first floor, they encountered three more super mutants and another centaur, this one with two dog heads and a mass of tentacles for legs. As they searched each room individually, they found more and more medical supplies: Med-X, stimpaks, Rad-X, Buffout and bottled water, often purified and clean. Lloyd discovered a shelf containing a book about medicine and medical care which wasn't burnt to illegibility, which he took for later reading. They also found what once must have been an employee's lounge, as it had a fridge stocked with food which they pilfered and couches that looked comfortable, but they didn't have time to relax.

Though the salvageable supplies were bountiful, they didn't compare to what they found when they had circled almost all the way back to where they had first entered. A locked door, the first they had come across. Lloyd put his ear to the door and thought he heard a noise on the other side, but couldn't be certain about its origin. He looked at Amata.

"Can you pick this lock?" he asked. She took off her stormchaser hat and pulled a bobby pin out of her hair alongside a small screwdriver from her belt. Lloyd watched as her hair, recently cleaned from their visit to Underworld, fell free. He was always fascinated by Amata's work with lockpicking and watched with intrigued curiosity.

She worked on the lock for only a moment before a small click was heard. She smiled and looked up at Lloyd, saying, "Got it." He motioned for her to step back. Raising his rifle, he slowly opened the door, not knowing what to expect. Whatever he thought was behind that door, it couldn't have been close to the reality.

"Good afternoon, sir!" a pleasant, slightly British voice spoke. A robotic eye at the end of a metal stalk dominated his vision as it stuck out inches from his face to view him and then retracted to reveal a Mr. Handy robot. Lloyd and Amata were both shocked at how much exactly like Andy, the robot from Vault 101, this unit resembled. It floated by way of a thruster which emerged from the bottom of its round body. It had three arms, one which ended in a small two-fingered grip, one in a buzz saw and one in a flamethrower nozzle. Lloyd never much understood the domestic need for those last two.

"Uh... hey there," Lloyd said, holding down his rifle so as not to appear threatening. He wanted to speak to the robot, but he wasn't quite sure what to say to it, though he didn't have to think hard, as the robot introduced itself immediately after he did so.

"Do allow me to introduce myself, good sir. I am Wadsworth, a most distinguished and accomplished Mr. Handy unit," the robot spoke in the somewhat stereotypical British accent all Mr. Handy units were programmed with.

"Uh, Wadsworth?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes, sir! I am Wadsworth, a most distinguished and accomplished Mr. Handy unit."

"...You repeated yourself there," Lloyd said. "And also, 'most distinguished and accomplished?'"

"Well, I was to the people of this hospital, when they weren't all dead."

The bluntness and casualness of the sentence baffled Lloyd, but he had to remind himself that this was a robot he was dealing with. "Well, what are you doing in this supply room?" Lloyd inquired, looking around the room and seeing various medical kits on the wall near a shelf which contained cleaning supplies.

"I was locked in this room by those rather oafish and brutish green men, my good sir. They locked me in here, proclaiming that I was annoying them."

Jericho chuckled. "Can't imagine why."

"I do agree, my good sir with the strange face!" Wadsworth exclaimed, evidently referring to Jericho's arc-light mask.

Amata tapped Lloyd's shoulder and whispered, "I don't think all his bolts are in place, Lloyd," she spoke her thoughts.

"Might I inquire as to the current state of the hospital, sir? Have the people come back and turned it into what it once was, that being a bustling and wonderfully busy place?" Wadsworth asked.

"Uh... no, not quite," Lloyd answered. "The uh, green people are still around."

"Oh, bollocks. Well then, I suppose I'll wait right here a bit longer."

"Why?" Amata asked.

"Because I was built to service this hospital, and I shall await the day that the people return and restore this building to its proper condition." The robot began floating back and forth in the closet, seemingly pacing.

Amata shook her head. "Lloyd, let's just go. We don't have the time to deal with a malfunctioning robot who won't listen to reason," she told him. Lloyd nodded and followed after her, but looked back at the open door, thinking about the strange robot.

They followed their previous path through the building and made it to the stairs which would lead to the second floor and as they rounded the corner, about to proceed up the staircase, a super mutant at the top of the stairs cried out with a challenging roar. Startled, they looked up. It held what looked like a batch of three grenades in its left hand, all tied together. He pulled the pin on one and laughed.

They reacted as quickly as they could, raising their weapons to fire, but then the grenades exploded in the hands of the super mutant, surprising them all and showering them with plaster from the walls and gore from the unfortunate and unintelligent super mutant. As the smoke cleared, they saw that, fortuitously, their path had not been blocked by the explosion.

Lloyd blinked behind his goggles. Then, he laughed. He had to lean against the wall just to maintain his balance as his laughter threatened to overtake him completely. Jericho joined him and laughed as well, holding his sides. Amata, despite having some blood on her, couldn't help but be swept away in the jovialness of the moment. She too began laughing. Russ barked a few times.

Lloyd moved his goggles up to his forehead to wipe some tears away from his eyes. "Oh man, that was hilarious!" he said between further laughs. He could hardly contain his laughter at the blatant stupidity they had just witnessed on the part of the deceased super mutant.

They couldn't help themselves but laugh some more for about a minute. Though the scene was grim, they needed it. It certainly lightened the mood, and would be a stark contrast to the next thirty minutes of their lives.

The upper floor of the hospital, to their relief, was not as much of a challenge as the first. The super mutants and their centaur pets weren't expecting attacks from behind, and like before on the previous floor they were given plenty of opportunities to surprise them and quickly kill them. After clearing the building completely of super mutants and searching it as thoroughly as they could for supplies, they found the tower that led across the street into the Statesman Hotel.

"I'm not so sure about this one, guys, I'm not gonna lie to you..." Lloyd said as he gingerly moved further up the tower, which was more of a glorified series of small metal strips welded together, which was nice for keeping the tower in one piece but daunting to walk across. So, he didn't, but rather crawled. Lloyd couldn't help but look down through the tower to the torn-up street some twenty feet below him. "Yeah, this kinda sucks."

"Let's just get across, Lloyd," Amata urged him on. She herself wasn't far behind him. She turned back to look at Jericho when she heard him laughing.

"You two look real pussy right now, you know that?" he said with a cigarette in his mouth. Amata shot him a dirty look and then noticed a whining Russ at his feet.

"Russ? Come on boy, come here!" she spoke to the dog. He lowered his head. Lloyd looked back.

"Maybe he's as afraid of dying from falling as I am," Lloyd laughed nervously. He thought about making a comment about the Washington Monument, but then he remembered that Jericho still didn't know about that incident. He shook his head as he moved forward, accidentally bending a lose piece of metal. It didn't do anything other than make him jump a little bit.

"Come on, Russ! Come to momma!" Amata continually beckoned. Russ put an unsure paw on the thin metal before retracting it, whining a bit.

"Oh, for the love of..." Jericho grumbled something about mutts as he flicked his cigarette off the roof and bent down to scoop Russ up with one arm. He strode across the tower, passing both Amata and Lloyd, and stepped into the hole that led into the Statesman. "You two wanna hurry the fuck up already?" he said, setting down Russ.

Lloyd and Amata made it a point to get across as quickly as they could. As they did so, they heard another series of explosions and gunshots. They knew it was the Rangers, and that every moment they wasted would be a moment they might lose them.

The interior of the Statesman was unlike anything they had encountered, and not just in terms of architecture. The rooms were dark, the hallways barely lit and most of the staircases destroyed. The floors of the hallways were covered in red, rotting carpet, often wet from water, blood or any other liquid unfortunate enough to be spilt. A terrible smell was constantly present, either from the rotting wood, carpet or corpses or all three.

They ventured through the levels of the Statesman, battling super mutants every step of the way. They couldn't take the super mutants by surprise any longer, as they somehow knew trouble was coming from behind now. Due to the darkness, Lloyd and Amata were forced to turn on their Pip-Boy's lights, which more often than not, gave away their positions.

The hotel was gritty, dirty and hard to move through. Wrecked rooms, walls with massive holes in them, gaps in the floors threatening to drop them to the lower levels all stood as obstacles for them to move through, in addition to ambushes by the super mutants, wielding firearms and blunt objects alike. Lloyd regretted not having his combat shotgun with him, since its destruction during the Washington Monument incident. It would have aided in close combat.

Each floor seemed like an endurance trial. There was never an easy path to get where they were trying to go. Usually, a staircase they were walking up would end due to a large pile of rubble and they'd have to cross the entire floor (fighting all the way), find a new staircase and then repeat the process again. Every step of the way, they fought super mutants and the mutated abominations they had brought along with them. Lloyd began to realize that the reason they had seen so few super mutants outside in the streets was because they had all flooded into the Statesman.

They did this until they found the body of Theo, the dead Ranger, blown in half by a grenade. Near him was the ammo crate Reilly had told them about, covered in the dead man's blood. Various super mutant corpses littered the area, evidence of the Rangers having been through this area before.

"Poor bastard..." Lloyd said as he crouched over the ammo crate, a green metal box with a keypad on the top of it. He checked his Pip-Boy for the code Reilly had given them, and punched it in. A moment later, a small beep was heard and the light over the keypad turned green. With a small click, the box opened.

Lloyd motioned for Amata to turn around. She knelt and did as much, allowing Lloyd to open an empty compartment on her backpack to load the ammo into. There was quite a bit of it, but not enough to weigh her down. "Lloyd, we need to keep moving," Amata reminded him. He nodded and slipped her backpack, patting her on the shoulder to indicate that they were ready to move.

They continued their trek through the ruined hallways, continually fighting off further mutants as they progressed upwards. The Statesman, compared to the Our Lady of Hope hospital, had very few salvageable things. Aside from ammo collected off of super mutant bodies, and the occasional medical kit, one room in particular stood out from the rest. It was roughly two floors above where they had found Theo's body.

The room, like the rest, was in horrible condition. On its queen-sized bed was a dead man's body, a skeleton picked clean of flesh by time and whatever else may have come upon it. Near its body were two full clips of 5.56 rounds, which Jericho delightfully took and loaded one into his assault rifle, storing the spare in his pocket. They were about to leave the room, as it had nothing else in it, when Amata noticed something clutched in the hand of the skeleton.

"Lloyd, look," she pointed as she leaned over the bed, not breathing in the smell of the skeletal corpse, as she picked up the square object.

"A holotape," Lloyd said. He watched as she inserted the tape into her Pip-Boy. After a moment, it registered and a new menu popped up.

"It's an audio recording," she said as she prepared to press play.

"Don't mean to interrupt anything here, but we gotta keep movin', kid," Jericho reminded them.

"In a minute, I wanna hear this," Lloyd said. He motioned for Amata to play the disk. She did so, and a man's voice, slightly pained and obviously depressed, came on.

_"My dearest Little Moonbeam. I know you've been waiting to hear what happened to me. I'm sorry I left you like I did. An important deal came up... one that might have let us to get away from that shack we were living in. I came to the Statesman Hotel to meet the buyer and the deal went bad. We shot each other, and now I think I'm dying._

_"I won't make it out of this place... the ruins are crawling with Super Mutants. All I can do is record this and then hide up in one of the rooms. You're a strong girl and I know you can use everything I taught you to survive alone. Please forgive me, sweetie. I only wanted to make the best for us. Daddy loves you very much. Goodbye."_

The silence that followed was powerful. The emotional tape struck a cord in both vault dwellers individually and in different ways.

For Lloyd, he couldn't help but compare the father leaving the daughter to his own father leaving the vault, and him with it. Though he still didn't know why his father had so, the tape left him with a grim reminder that his father might already be dead, and if so, he could only hope that a tape like this would be left behind to explain why. A small part of the message, explaining that the father had left the daughter, Little Moonbeam, for the chance at a greater life, was not lost on Lloyd.

For Amata, it reminded her of her own father and how different the situation was on her end. She had willingly left the vault at Lloyd's side, leaving behind her everything she held dear. It had been an incredible leap of faith on her part, to leave with Lloyd. He was the only part of her life from the vault that she still had. But she wasn't entirely unhappy with the reality of it, for on that fateful day when they left, she had seen the true colors of her father and all the horrible things he had done. She didn't regret leaving that place.

For both of them, this "Little Moonbeam" was someone whom they knew they could sympathize with.

Lloyd nodded towards the tape after the silence became too much to bear. "Keep it," he said. "And let's go. We shouldn't stop for more distractions."

She nodded, and slid it into a small pouch on her armored jumpsuit's belt. Though the rational part of her brain asked why they should keep it, she quickly silenced those thoughts. Both Lloyd and Amata knew that there would be an unspoken and mutual agreement when it came to the tape; that if this person, this Little Moonbeam still existed, they would hold it for her. But there was something else, a desire mutually shared to not leave behind this little seemingly insignificant message.

They continued up the hotel, driven by their purpose of rescue, until they made it to the last room on their way up. It was a large room, with a bar and a lounge with tables and chairs. Lloyd didn't notice the balcony that ran along one side of the room until the super mutant with the large minigun let loose with a hail of bullets. Amata and Jericho ducked back into the hallway they came from as quickly as they could. Lloyd, luckily, dived in front of the bar which provided him cover from the barrage of bullets above.

As soon as the barrage began, super mutants quickly began moving all around the room, alerted to their presence. The largest ambush party yet had laid in wait for them, fittingly at the very last and largest room on their path up.

A super mutant brandishing a sledgehammer charged in Lloyd's direction. He couldn't aim his hunting rifle, given his awkward angle, so he resorted to whipping out his pistol as fast as he could. The panic of the moment offset his aim and he missed his first three shots as he rapidly pulled the trigger in the direction of the charger.

Fortunately, the super mutant ran right into Jericho's line of sight. He opened fire with his assault rifle, quickly gunning down the mutant. He moved to the left, just outside the open doorway, to adjust his aim so that he could take down a mutant running down the stairs. He did just that.

Amata was prepping a grenade she had pulled out of a pocket located on the back of her jumpsuit's belt. She tapped Jericho on the shoulder, motioning for him to move out of the way. When he saw the live grenade in her hands, the only thing keeping it from going off being her tight grip, he quickly moved back and reloaded, pulling the clip he had pilfered earlier out of his pocket. Amata stuck her head out, risking the mutant armed with the minigun seeing her, but she needed a line of sight to her target.

She assessed the throw and tossed it up. It bounced off the wall behind the green man and landed at his feet. Amata ducked into the hallway and covered her ears as the ensuing explosion went off. Lloyd, having regained control of his perception of the situation, had just finished off an approaching centaur mutant with his pistol when the legless torso and upper body of the super mutant, who had just been alive and armed with the minigun, landed roughly five feet away from him. Lloyd couldn't help but let out a short laugh at the sight. Russ, who was still in the hallway, took the opportunity to run over to Lloyd, leaping over the corpse of the blown-up greenskin.

There were four more super mutants in the room. Working together, the four of them quickly wiped them out. The morale of the super mutants quickly deteriorated, and the last surviving of them shouted out, "Run away!" before being gunned down by Jericho.

"You see that? Two shots kid, two shots!" Jericho called out, laughing gleefully whilst reloading.

"Amazing, Jericho, honestly." Lloyd pushed himself up, then winced a little. Amata noticed his leg was bleeding.

"Lloyd, you were shot!" she said, before remembering his strange condition. "You should... uh, clean it up and wrap it. I'll help you."

He paused briefly and then nodded. He knew it was a show for Jericho, just to keep the knowledge from the raider. Though, part of his mind wondered why they still did so. 'It's probably for the better that he doesn't know. It might only complicate things in an already complicated relationship,' he thought to himself.

After bandaging the wound, they efficiently went about the task of searching the room for useful items, stripping the walls, shelves, boxes and bodies of anything they could find. Lloyd stumbled upon a storage closet with a wrecked Protectron inside. Curiously, Lloyd pried open a busted hatch on the damaged robot to discover that some of the pieces within its chassis were still in good, working shape. He took out some scrap metal he thought would be good for Winthrop back in Underworld. He also noticed a working fission battery. Though it was heavy, he slid it into a pouch on the harness that he wore over his combat armor. 'Winthrop might find a good use for it,' he thought.

Jericho, meanwhile, found a few drinks behind the bar. "Hey kid, you like booze?" he joked, taking a swig. Amata rolled her eyes.

Regrouping, they walked up the final staircase, opened the double doors and stepped out into the light. They were on the roof of the Statesman now, though there was a raised section of concrete that made up the majority of the center of the roof. They could look out and see the ruins of D.C. splayed around them. Deciding that a staircase must be on some side of the raised section, or perhaps a ladder, Lloyd quickly led them around. They heard further gunshots and explosions, which gave them hope, as it signified that the rangers were still alive.

At the opposite end from where they had entered the rooftop, they found a set of stairs that led up to the location the Rangers were trapped in. Almost immediately, however, an explosion went off at the top of the steps, leaving a limbless super mutant body rolling down until it reached the final step. Lloyd looked back at his companions.

"They're watching for movement. We should make some kind of noise so they know not to blow us the fuck up, kid!" Jericho said in a hushed voice. Lloyd turned around and looked up the steps before cupping his hands over his mouth.

He shouted as loud as he was comfortable with, "We're human! Don't shoot! We're here to help you, Rangers!"

After a moment's silence with no response, he looked back at them again. "I'll go up alone," he said as he put away his weapon. "Watch our backs for more super mutants." They nodded.

Slowly, with his hands high up in the air, Lloyd ascended the stairs. When he reached the top, he could see what this place was once before the war: a luxurious rooftop dining area. Most of the tables had been tipped over, as well as the chairs, but he could see that the place must have been classy. A large series of columns, made to resemble those in ancient Greece, lined most of the plateau. He could see a fountain, inactive, in the center, and past that a bunch of tables grouped together in a crude fortification.

And behind that barricade, a group of people in forest-green combat armor.

"Ain't no green!" a man called out. Another man walked forward a bit, around the fountain, to get a look at Lloyd. He waved Lloyd over. Lloyd motioned to Amata and Jericho to follow him up, making sure that he was very fluent in his motions to indicate to the rangers that the people coming up after him were expected, and not super mutants. They quickly moved up the stairs along with Russ and followed Lloyd over to the Rangers. The man called out to them when they reached the fountain.

"Hey, you three! Get your asses over here before you attract every super mutant in the area!" They picked up their pace and quickly walked up to the man. Lloyd saw five of them, three men and two women, placed in strategic spots around their fortification. They all wore forest green combat armor with a small logo, two swords crossing with the words "Reilly's Rangers" to the right of the insignia. The man, who appeared to be in his thirties, approached them as they neared. He had short, crew cut hair and suntanned skin. "Name's Butcher, team medic. It's good to finally see a friendly face. I only want to know two things: who the heck're you and when are reinforcements coming?"

Lloyd looked back at Amata, Jericho and Russ before turning back to Butcher. "I'm afraid this is it. I'm Lloyd, this is Amata, and he's Jericho, and our dog here is Russ," he introduced them all.

Butcher holstered his SMG. "Hmm... Well, you three made it all the way up here alive... Okay, I'm impressed. Reilly must have sent the right people for the job, as usual. Hey, is she okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's fine," Amata answered. "The ghouls, they patched her up after a super mutant ambush and she's resting in Underworld."

Butcher let out a sigh of relief and cracked a smile. "That's great news. I told her she was nuts when she decided to try and sneak out of here. I guess I was wrong. When it comes to Reilly, I usually am." He turned to walk back into the encampment and they followed him. He talked as he walked. "Now, let's talk about getting out of here."

"What about the way we came?" Lloyd suggested. "Down through the hotel and the hospital?" Butcher turned around and shook his head.

"I'm afraid that's a negative. It's impossible now. Miles, our sniper, has been surveying the roads for some time now. A large force of mutants just entered the Our Lady of Hope hospital, and are on their way up right now. We don't have time to waste."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Alternatives?" Amata asked the medic.

"The express elevator," Butcher said, motioning towards a set of sliding doors nearby. "But it doesn't work anymore. What we need is something to power the elevator motor up here and get the thing going."

"What would you need?" Lloyd asked.

"On the way up here, I noticed a storeroom with a wrecked protectron. It should have an old pre-war fission battery inside it. If you can get me that battery, Donovan could get the thing working."

Lloyd blinked a few times behind his goggles. "Uh, you mean this?" he said, pulling the fission battery he had pulled out of the very same protectron Butcher had indicated. Butcher's eyes widened.

"Holy shit kid, what else can you pull out of your pockets? Some ammo, I hope," a man said as he walked up. He had tanned skin, like Butcher, indicating a lot of time outside. He had dirty blonde hair that was held back by a green headband he wore. In his hands he comfortably held a sniper rifle. "Name's Miles, team sniper."

"Lloyd Freeman," Lloyd greeted, "and actually, I do have your ammo. We got it off of Theo's body."

"Well, well, we got us a genuine rescue, eh?" a woman, with a very large minigun and short hair, approached the group. She spoke with a noticeable southern accent. "Brick's the name," she introduced herself, "and I call this fine lookin' room sweeper Eugene," she indicated her minigun, holding it up and smiling. "We've had a lot of fun up here mowin' down super mutants, but I think it's time we get off this here roof. But first, what's this I hear about ammo?"

"We passed Theo's ammo case on the way up. Before we came, Reilly gave us the code for it. I've got all the ammo here in my pack," Amata answered, removing her backpack. She began taking the ammunition out of it, separating it by type.

"Aw hell yeah!" Brick cheered. Miles clapped Lloyd on the back and then called out to the second female, who was wounded. Her stomach was wrapped up, and the wraps were noticeably red. Her hair, like Reilly's, was a fiery red. Like Miles, she too wore a headband.

"Say Trigger, we got more bullets for you to blast!" he laughed. "That is, when you can stand back up."

"Shut it, Miles," the young woman snapped back. "I swear I'll kick your ass."

"Everybody calm down," Butcher called out, trying to maintain control of his team. "Now we finally have a chance to get the hell out of here, and we can't waste time. Let's get everybody the ammo. I'll get that fission battery to Donovan and we'll get moving right proper." Lloyd and Amata began doing just that, while Butcher walked over and reported to Donovan the fortuitous turn things had finally taken.

As Lloyd handed Brick 5mm rounds for her minigun, he asked, "How'd you guys survive up here for so long?"

"Skill baby, pure skill. And a big ass gun, of course," she answered.

"We're just lucky we all didn't end up like Trigger," Miles said. "But she's a tough little ball of spit. It'll take more than a gunshot to bring her out of the world."

"Same couldn't be said for you, miles!" Trigger shouted, leaning up on her elbows. "I'd like to see you take one in the gut. You'd be crying for mommy all the way home." Trigger flashed a cocky smile as she pointed at her eyeball. "Not one tear here. I'm just pissed off. Let's get out of here so I can get a fucking drink."

"Just a minute," Donovan, the team technician, called back, "and we'll be home free."

Lloyd walked up to Butcher. "What's the plan when we get out of here?" he asked. "Reilly's still in Underworld."

"She'll be alright there, for now. You can follow us back to HQ, if you like. We could use the help, seeing as how we'll be carrying wounded."

Lloyd nodded his agreement. "We'll do just that. Once you're situated in your headquarters, my people and I can head back to Underworld to escort Reilly back."

Butcher considered Lloyd's proposal. "It would certainly give us a chance to get our bearings straight and help Trigger medically. I gotta say, kid, you're the best damn thing to happen to us in a long time. How old are you, anyway?"

"Nineteen," Lloyd replied.

"Damn, that's even more impressive. I wish I could do all the things you're doing at your age. And your offer is noble, too. Selfless, in fact, just like risking your lives to help us. Why?"

"It seemed like the right thing to do. Out here, in the wastes, that's all Amata and I can really do. We're from a vault, you see," Lloyd explained.

"A vault? I've never seen one, but I've heard plenty. Why'd you leave?" Butcher asked.

"That's a bit of a story I think would best be suited to a more secure location," Lloyd replied. As he did so, Donovan stood up and cheered.

"I got it! We're home free, baby!" he picked up his assault rifle and loaded it with the new ammo. Butcher stepped forward to address the entire group.

"Alright, listen up. We're headed down. I'm not sure how many super mutants will be down there, but we need to move fast. We're going to enter the metro tunnels as soon as possible, and once we're all inside, use a couple of landmines to block the entrance behind us, guaranteeing us no trouble coming up from the rear. Who can carry Trigger?" Butcher asked the group. "The more people we have focused on helping Trigger, the fewer we'll have to shoot."

"I can do it," Amata said, stepping forward. "Lloyd and Jericho can both shoot much better than I can. They'd be best for helping out in a firefight."

Lloyd nodded his agreement of Amata's assessment. "Alright then," Butcher announced. "We know the plan. There's too many of us to comfortably fit inside the elevator all at once, so we'll make the trip twice. First group will be Brick, Miles, Jericho and myself. Second group will be Lloyd, Donovan, Amata, right?" he asked to make sure he got her name right. She nodded. "Right. Amata and Trigger, and your dog, too."

Russ barked, as if sensing he had been brought up.

"The first group is attack, the second group is support." He looked at Donovan, who gave a thumbs-up. "Alright, we've got everything ready. Pack up and move out!" he ordered. Amata helped Trigger to her feet, and supported her by having the redhead put her arm around her shoulders. Lloyd put his pack back on and everyone made sure their weapons were loaded.

"Thanks the help, honey," Trigger said as Amata supported her.

The first group went down, disappearing behind the elevator doors. A minute later, they opened back up, revealing the empty elevator inside. "Alright, everybody in!" Donovan said. Lloyd and Amata helped Trigger inside, with Russ following, and Donovan walked in and pressed the first floor button. The doors slid shut and the elevator rumbled to life, moving them down the shaft.

"Hey listen, you two, I just want to personally thank you for getting us out of there," Donovan said, looking at the two vault dwellers.

"Not a problem," Lloyd said. "Think nothing of it, really."

"You guys saved our lives," Donovan insisted. "The Rangers, all of us, are in your dept."

"You can say that again..." Trigger muttered. She was turning a bit pale.

"Well not yet, we still have to get out of here," Amata reminded the technician.

"Right." The elevator suddenly stopped and beeped. "Last stop," Donovan said, holding up his assault rifle.

The doors opened, and their ears were assailed with the sound of gunfire. The Rangers of group one alongside Jericho had engaged the super mutants, as expected. Lloyd, Russ and Donovan ran out of the elevator and into the lobby, joining them, as Amata helped Trigger to a more hidden location, lest they be seen and shot at.

Working with the Rangers, it didn't take long for Lloyd and Jericho to help them in clearing the entire lobby of super mutants. Jericho dived from a balcony, landing atop a very surprised super mutant. After planting his boot into the not-so-jolly green giant's face, Jericho pressed the barrel of his assault rifle into its jaw and fired, splattering the floor with its blood. A super mutant charged the former raider, holding a sledgehammer up high with the intent to bring it down upon Jericho's head. The attacker was stopped, however, by a hail of bullets from Brike's minigun Eugene. From the balcony above, she tore into the super mutant, blasting limbs from its body.

Lloyd, Butcher and Donovan worked like a well-oiled machine, providing covering fire and systematically moving through the super mutant barricades as Russ ran about, biting and drawing fire. In a matter a minutes, the lobby was clear and the front doors beckoned to them, promising an exit from the accursed hotel.

With very little time left before the super mutants of the area would come charging down upon them, they ran outside and engaged further mutant opposition while Amata escorted Trigger to the Vernon Square metro tunnels that she and Lloyd had originally come through. The Rangers, Lloyd and Jericho all made it to the tunnel as well, with Donovan planting his custom-rigged landmines to blow the tunnel exit. He set them and ran further back into the tunnel to join up with the group. As he did so, an explosion went off in the direction they had come from. The trap for the first super mutant to follow them in had worked flawlessly. Every so often, Donovan would drop another to cover their trail from followers.

Once they were certain they were clear of danger, everyone cheered, but only for a moment. Butcher reminded them that they had to keep moving. They moved through the metro tunnel system a ways, the Rangers leading the group, as they knew the quickest path to their base, until they reached Pennsylvania Avenue. There, a lone super mutant tried to ambush them, but Miles and his trusty sniper rifle was quick to react, blowing the mutant's head wide open with a single shot.

They headed east, and along the way they encountered a scavenger who had set up a shop in a small tunnel. They made good trade with the scavenger for some food and water before moving on. The Rangers walked up to a covered manhole and opened it with a crowbar that Donovan carried before climbing down inside. It was a train tunnel, rather small, so they were forced to walk alongside the wrecked train in a line. There were super mutants in the tunnel, as expected. Brick had taken up the point position and with Eugene she made quick work of anyone or anything that got in their way.

They continued heading northwest in the tunnels until they reached a ladder located behind a door that led up to Seward Square, which was near the Ranger's compound. However, a new problem soon arose. Seward Square was infested with super mutants and centaurs, at least ten of each. As the group entered the large, open area, they were suddenly set upon by the mutants.

Lloyd and Jericho began chucking grenades as the Rangers returned fire. Amata and Trigger ducked behind a building. The conflict didn't last particularly long; once the smoke had cleared the Rangers quickly ushered everyone towards their base.

"We're real close, don't worry," Amata told the barely-conscious Trigger.

They moved through an opening beneath a ruined building and after walking through some concrete tunnels and passing some Reilly's Rangers logos painted onto the walls, they reached the Ranger compound. Butcher entered in the code at their terminal and they gained access. "Welcome to HQ," he told the three of them as they all entered the underground base, "Way I see it, what's ours is yours, seeing as how you all saved our lives."

The Rangers spent some time getting everything in place, namely Trigger. Butcher helped her onto a medical examining table to better clean her wounds. Lloyd offered to help, explaining his medical background. "Damn kid, is there anything you can't do?" Butcher asked.

"I can't die," Lloyd joked, laughing. The Rangers joined him in his laughter, as did Jericho. Amata didn't.

Lloyd helped Butcher clean and redress Trigger's stomach wound. When they were done, Donovan spoke up. "You sure know your shit, kid. Ever consider joining the Rangers? I'm sure Reilly would love to have you all on our team."

Surprised, Lloyd looked up at the technician. "Well, I... certainly wouldn't want to impose," he replied.

"Impose nothin'!" Brick interjected. "You saved all of our lives, kid! All three of you!"

"And their dog," Miles pointed out, kneeling down to rub Russ on the top of his head. Russ panted as he happily wagged his tail.

Butcher nodded. "There were seven of us until we lost Theo. Recruiting you three would sure as hell get us back up to speed."

"Lloyd, do you think it's a good idea?" Amata asked.

Lloyd shrugged. "Well… I don't see why not. You Rangers are great people, I know it. In fact, I'd be honored to join you."

They all cheered and clapped Lloyd and Amata on the back. Jericho held up his hands, however, denying it. "Hey, look, if you two wanna wear color-coded armor and join their little book club, great. Power to ya, kid. I'm not a fan of green."

"We do have something else," Miles said. "I think it'd sit you, Jericho."

"If it ain't a pack of cigarettes, you better damn well try hard to impress me," Jericho said.

Miles led the three of them over to their armory and opened up some lockers. "We have two sets of Ranger armor for the two of you," he said, and as he opened up a third locker, he said, "And this'll be for you, Jericho, from the kindness of our hearts." Miles chuckled a bit. "Or the desire to get this thing out of our locker. None of us really want it."

He pulled out a suit of metal armor. It resembled combat armor very much, but the torso was bulkier and the shoulder plates larger. The steel boots had spikes at the end, and more spikes were located on the knees, elbows and shoulders. Overall, it was stronger, heavier and offered more protection than Jericho's leather armor.

"Oh, hell yes," Jericho said, feasting his eyes on the metal armor. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" He took the armor and left the room in search of a place to change into it.

"Thought you'd like it," Miles said as he watched the raider go. He looked at the former vault dwellers. "And as for you two, this Ranger armor is also free to take. Trust me, they'll bring you luck."

"This is great, Miles. I'm sure the armor will help, but I was wondering..." Lloyd trailed off.

"What?" Miles asked.

Amata looked at Lloyd, who sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Y'see... there's a ghoul in Underworld. A very particular and unique ghoul who is subject to complete and total slavery at the hands of a very sadistic person. I'd... like to buy him and give him his freedom."

"Lloyd?" Amata walked up. "When did this happen?"

"It's the ghoul who fought with Jericho when he got drunk in the bar that night we stayed in Underworld," he answered.

Amata titled her head. "The one that attacked you?"

"It's a little bit more complicated than that. He was under orders. Remember how he walked away when that ghoul commanded him to?"

"Yeah…" Amata trailed off, trying to understand his meaning.

Lloyd explained, "He's... brainwashed, you could say, to follow the absolute orders of whoever holds his contract. It isn't right. It's a terrible, humiliating thing to do, especially to work for this ghoul. I met him, and he's horrible. Preys on the weak willed and inferior." Lloyd looked away. "I can't let him toy with this ghoul's, Charon's, life."

Miles had been sitting back and listening. "How much?" he asked.

"We only have just under four hundred caps left," Lloyd replied. "He'll sell the contract for two thousand."

Lloyd didn't think Miles would go for it. "You got it," he answered.

"What, really?" Lloyd said incredulously. "Just like that?"

Miles stood up. "Kid, you're a Ranger now, and you saved our lives. I know we keep bringing that up, but you really did and we'll do everything we can to help you. You're a good kid, Lloyd."

Lloyd looked at Amata, who seemed uncertain. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I promise you that this is the right thing to do. I know it."

She nodded and hugged Lloyd. "I'm just glad we rescued the Rangers," she said. "Now, let's suit up and get Reilly from Underworld."

"Long as you two're headed that way, might as well take the money now and give that ghoul his freedom," Miles said. "Lemme get it for you."

Lloyd smiled. "So, we're part of the Rangers now," he said, pulling out his new set of combat armor from the locker. It was painted forest green, and had the logo on it, just like the others the Rangers wore. "New combat armor, when I paid good caps of ours to get this one. Might as well have gone all this time naked," he joked.

"I wouldn't have minded seeing that," Amata said slyly, before pulling out her set of ranger armor. Making sure he was watching, she began to unzip the front of her jumpsuit.

Lloyd gulped. "Uh, the Rangers, or Jericho, could, uh, walk in," he said.

"Then close the door so we can change in private," she told him.

He chuckled nervously. "Heh, heh, right..." He inched over and shut the door. Amata approached him placing her hands on his chest.

"You can't die, huh?" she said, smiling. "That's pretty arrogant to assume, don't you think?"

He let out a small chortle. "Just a joke…"

"We're doing a lot lately, aren't we? Saving lives, freeing slaves... you're an impressive young man, Lloyd Freeman."

Lloyd shrugged a little bit. "Well... you're an impressive young woman, Amata Almodovar, for being able to put up with all the crap we go through. You've been there with me every step of the way, and don't think that I don't appreciate it."

"Lloyd, if you don't mind talking about it," she said, looking up at the tall teenager, "What happens after we find your father?"

"Well... I don't know. Right now we'll have to go get Reilly, then bring her back, then, I suppose, we go talk to Three Dog... and try to explain to him why we couldn't get the new radio dish in place."

"Minus the truth about your healing," she pointed out.

"Yeah. Minus that." He placed his hands on her hips. "Things have been going our way, haven't they?" he said. "We've got friends now, people we know we can rely on. We're welcome in their home, and a part of their team."

She nodded. "But even if we didn't, we'd still have each other, right?"

"Of course," he smiled, before leaning down to kiss her. A knock on the door behind Lloyd startled them.

"Hey kid, get your fuckin' armor on and let's go already! I wanna give this new suit some air," Jericho shouted through the metal. Lloyd laughed a bit, before reaching up and cupping her chin.

"To be continued?" he asked. Amata's smile was more than enough of an answer.

* * *

Not long thereafter, Lloyd, Amata and Jericho were all suited up and on their way back to Underworld. Lloyd and Amata now both had combat helmets, generously provided by the Rangers, in addition to their new armor. Like Lloyd had before her, Amata used the leftover harness that armored her jumpsuit to enhance her new armor to be even more versatile and useful.

With the money the Rangers had given them, Lloyd was going to buy Charon's contract and end the ghoul's service to that despicable Azrukhal. In the tunnels, they were traveling along the same paths they had originally taken from Underworld, minimizing the risk of a dangerous encounter.

Until they reached the metro station just beneath Underworld, that is.

Looking ahead, Lloyd saw three figures standing in their path. They wore combat armor, painted all black, with matching black helmets. There was a white logo on the breastplate that Lloyd and Amata didn't recognize, but Jericho did.

"Talon Company, kid," Jericho muttered.

Lloyd's blood ran cold. He knew what was about to happen. But maybe not. "Play it cool," he told Amata. "They might not recognize us, since we're not in our jumpsuits."

"Two more," Jericho suddenly said. "On the rise above us. I just saw them."

"Shit," Lloyd whispered. As if sensing his uneasiness, Russ growled.

They stopped when the center of the three Talon mercs called out, "Stop."

"We're passing through," Lloyd called out.

The merc shook his head. "No, you're not. Burke wants your heads, and don't try to deny it. We know who you are."

Lloyd balled his fist. He had been mentally preparing himself for this confrontation, but he still hadn't been quite ready for it. "Just a matter of time, I suppose," Lloyd said.

The mercs chuckled. "You got that right, kid. Now Jabsco's gonna teach you a lesson."

They heard a sound from behind them, and turned to face a man in metal armor not unlike Jericho's. He had just jumped down behind them from the balcony. He wore a black helmet, and in his hands was a knife. A wicked smile painted his face. Russ barked at the man.

"It's about time we met," he said, eyeing Lloyd. "Name's Commander Jabsco, not that you'll know it for long."

Lloyd kept his ground. "You don't have to do this," he said to Jabsco.

The commander of Talon Company laughed aloud. "Burke said this would be worth a personal touch, and he was right. I'm glad I personally headed the search for you three." He looked to Jericho. "But we're not after you, raider. Go back to Megaton and drink yourself into a coma."

"Get over here and say that to my fuckin' face, you Talon Company bitch," Jericho countered. Jabsco laughed.

"Do you know what this knife is?" he asked, holding up the combat knife. "Occam's Razor. Someday, everybody in the wasteland will know about this blade and fear Talon Company retribution."

"Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity," Lloyd said. Jabsco got a confused look on his face. "Occam's razor. The simplest explanation is often the correct one."

Jabsco smiled. "You're a smart one, kid. You see, any time Occam's Razor has to come out, the simplest explanation is stabbing people."

"Kinda forced," Lloyd said.

Jabsco shrugged. "This could've been a lot different, you know, if you hadn't been such a goody-goody two-shoes."

Lloyd looked to Amata. She had fear in her eyes, he could see it. He shared it.

"You really don't want to mess with us," Lloyd warned.

Some chuckles were heard from the mercs. Jabsco's smile widened. "Why's that?" he asked.

"The simplest explanation is that you'll die if you try to fight us," Lloyd threatened. "We've killed more super mutants today than you have in your life." A bead of sweat ran down his forehead.

"You think that's gonna get us to back away from the price on your heads? No, that's not going to happen. I'm going to stab you with my knife, and you'll bleed all kinds of nice. Then, you'll die and I'll get paid." Jabsco approached. "Now, if you'd like, you can pick a point where you'd like to die. It'd make this a lot easier."

To the surprise of all involved, Lloyd nodded and stepped forward. "Right here," he said, pointing to his stomach.

"The fuck're you doing, kid?" Jericho said. Amata watched in silence.

Jabsco's smile returned to his face. "You know you can't win, eh? I can respect that. It's too bad I'll have to cut off your head."

Jabsco suddenly closed the distance between them and jammed the knife into Lloyd's stomach. Amata shouted in protest, but found herself unable to move her legs.

Jabsco looked over at her and then leaned in to talk into Lloyd's ear. "I just want you to know that your girlfriend's a real pretty thing. We're gonna have a hell of a time with her," he smiled. The mercs around him all chuckled.

Despite the incredible pain in his gut, Lloyd smiled. He replied rather calmly, "That's funny, because I'm gonna have a hell of a time with you."

Surprised, Jabsco leaned back to look at Lloyd's face. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lloyd rocked his head back and shot it forward, slamming it into Jabsco's face. The commander fell back, clutching his broken nose, leaving the blade embedded in Lloyd's stomach. Lloyd grabbed the knife and quickly pulled it out, gritting his teeth through the pain but counting on his healing factor to help him.

Jabsco watched in terror as Lloyd advanced on him, Occam's Razor in hand and slashed upwards, cutting Jabsco's face from the chin to the top of his left cheek. He fell back screaming in pain as warm blood spilled over his face.

Jericho didn't ask a single question, instead, he turned to aim with his assault rifle and fired upon the three mercs that were originally in their way, who were too surprised by Lloyd's sudden attack against Jabsco to react fast enough. Two of them died, and the third was gunned down by Amata, who had equipped her SMG. She fired wildly, fear guiding her actions. The third merc fell to her brash attack.

The two mercs above them jumped down, which proved a poor strategy, as one of them was quickly and unceremoniously dropped by Lloyd, who had pulled out his pistol. Russ leapt atop the other one, making short and messy work out of his neck. In just under a minute, the odds had gone from five against four to four against one.

Commander Jabsco was frantically crawling backwards, one hand clutching half of his face. Amata was breathing heavily, reality finally coming back to her. She looked at Lloyd, who was approaching the leader of Talon Company, though he didn't know it.

Jabsco looked up at Lloyd, desperation and uncertainty in his eyes.

He tossed Jabsco the knife. "I should kill you," Lloyd said, rather coldly. "But I want you to live with that scar and know that we beat you. Take your beloved knife and get out of here."

"How, how... how?" Jabsco kept repeating, seeing Lloyd's now-healed stomach wound through the small hole his knife had made in Lloyd's new armor.

Lloyd leaned down, crouching near the frightened man. He spoke quietly, "I guess it's because I'm just a goody-goody two-shoes," he said.

The commander reached for his knife, but Lloyd quickly stepped on his arm. "Hold it. I want to know where Burke is."

Jabsco cried out from the pressure. "Tenpenny Tower! He's got a suite at the top of Tenpenny Tower!"

Jericho laughed. "He's a coward, kid. He didn't even let us torture him for the answer."

Lloyd stepped back, taking his foot off of Jabsco's arm. "Get out of here, now."

Jabsco grabbed his knife and ran down the opposite tunnel, never looking back.

Lloyd looked around at the five dead mercs, then at Amata. His eyes softened as he seemed to let out a breath he had been holding. "Holy shit… That worked. We made it!" he cried.

Amata still wasn't sure what to say or do. All she could do was shake her head. "Lloyd..." she said, pointing behind him. Lloyd turned to see Jericho, who saw Lloyd's healed wound.

"Wanna tell me what the fuck is goin' on with you, kid? You just volunteered to be stabbed, and you were. You ain't even bleeding anymore."

As Lloyd began explaining everything to Jericho, about his healing and the truth of the Washington Monument incident, Amata stood silent, thinking. Lloyd was growing confident in his healing factor, throwing, or in this case volunteering, himself into danger. She had seen a shift in him, a small one at first, but it had grown in the time since she had last seen it. These Talon Company mercs weren't mutants, or feral ghouls with no hope left, they were human beings. She knew that they had killed raiders before, but never had Lloyd been so... confident and cold about it.

And it worried her.

"Let's just get out of here," Lloyd said after finishing explaining everything to the doubting raider. He holstered his pistol and considered Amata. "You alright?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

Amata choked back her worries and replied, "Yeah. Let's just get to Underworld." She walked ahead of them, with Lloyd and Russ quickly following after her. Jericho tagged back to pick up a black combat helmet from a dead Talon merc. Deciding he rather liked this more than the arc-light helmet, he put it on.

* * *

"You what?" Reilly asked, not believing what she had heard. "You saved all of them?"

"Everyone," Lloyd answered. "They're back at Ranger HQ, safe and sound."

Reilly looked at their armor. "I take it they invited you two onto the team, eh?" she said, standing up, a smile growing on her face. "I can't say I blame them. I'd have done the exact same thing."

"The armor is nice," Lloyd said. "We really appreciate it, and the offer to join."

"No, kid, I'm the one who appreciates everything you've done for Rangers. You two are some of the most amazing people I've ever met."

Doc Barrows, the ghoul physician, walked up. "Well, Reilly, we've got your stuff on hand and we're ready to hand it over whenever you're prepared to leave."

"Thanks, Doc," Reilly said. She looked at the two of them. "And thank you. I can make it back to the Ranger compound on my own. If you want to drop by sometime, know that you're always welcome."

"Actually, we thought we'd escort you back," Amata said.

"I can accept that," Reilly said with a smile, before moving to get her equipment.

Lloyd added, "We were planning on heading back, right after we finish up some business here. By the time we get back it'll be dark anyway, so we were planning on sleeping there, if that's alright with you."

"Alright with me?" she said sarcastically. "Kid, after what you've done for the Rangers, I'd be alright with inviting super mutants inside if they had your seal of approval."

Lloyd chuckled. "Right."

As they were about to leave, Lloyd noticed an holotape on the doctor's table labeled, "Wanted: Trustworthy Surgeon." He picked it up.

"Hey Doc, what's this?" he asked. The ghoul turned around and his eyes narrowed as he looked at what Lloyd was holding, trying to recognize it.

"Oh, that. A joke. Some guy says he knows an android that wants facial surgery. Sent all kinds of tapes like that out to people in the wasteland, looking for help. Just a big, fat joke if you ask me."

"Android?" Lloyd asked, intrigued. "Do you mind if I play the tape?"

"Not at all," the ghoul said. "It's good for a laugh."

Lloyd inserted the disk into his Pip-Boy. He pressed play. Immediately, a man's voice came over and spoke, _"Hey doc, I'm only sharing this with you because you seem like someone we can trust. Have you heard about the synthetic men they make up north in the Commonwealth? Well, the rumors are true. They're called androids. They're men like us, just made out of different parts. I know one of these androids. He's looking for a trustworthy doctor to perform some facial surgery. Can you do it? Do you know someone who can? Also, do you know anyone who's really a wiz with computers?"_

After it finished playing, Doc Barrows laughed. "See what I mean? Synthetic men, have you ever heard of such bullshit? Androids, hah."

"Yeah... but if you don't mind, I'd like to hold onto it," he said. The ghoul doctor shrugged and made nothing more of it.

"What do you think, Lloyd?" Amata asked him. "You think it's real?"

"I don't know. But we spent all day shooting giant green men. Anything's possible outside the vault, Amata. I think I'd like to meet an android myself, if one exists, I mean."

"Are we getting out of here, kid?" Reilly asked, having put on her Ranger armor behind a courtesy cloth.

"Yeah, sorry, I'll go handle what I needed to handle and then we'll get out of here," Lloyd told the older woman.

Lloyd and Amata walked up to the Ninth Circle, Azrukhal's joint, with the bag of caps they had gotten from the Rangers. They entered the dim bar, Lloyd removing his helmet and goggles, deeming them rather unnecessary in this location. He approached the bar, behind which stood Azrukhal.

Amata looked around and noticed the ghoul, Charon. He was tall, taller than even Lloyd. Like all ghouls, his skin was cracked and fleshy and his face was devoid of a nose, in its place were two skeletal-like nostrils. Patches of red hair could be found in a few spots on his head. He wore leather armor, with various belts and straps all secured tightly. On his back was a shotgun easily within arms reach. Amata noticed that the ghoul was staring intently at Lloyd, but she wasn't able to read his emotionless face. This ghoul, Charon, unnerved her in a way she didn't quite understand.

Lloyd set the bag of caps down upon the bar. "Two thousand," he told the surprised Azrukhal, "for Charon's contract."

Azrukhal took the bag from Lloyd, feeling its weight. He opened it up and smiled. "Heh, you're a true businessman of your word, sir. I must say, I am extremely impressed with your ability to accumulate this much wealth in such a short time." He leaned forward. "You didn't kill anyone I know to get this money, did you?" he chuckled.

"Hardly," Lloyd said, not smiling. "Give me the contract. The money is all in there."

"Oh, I believe you," Azrukhal said, taking a small metal tube out of his pocket. "Even if the caps were off by, say, fifty, it wouldn't matter. There's a lot of caps in here, my friend. Your word is... good enough," he ended with a wide smile. He handed the tube over, and Lloyd took it. He unscrewed one end and pulled out a small, rolled-up piece of paper secured by a red string.

"This is it?" he asked. Azrukhal nodded. Lloyd turned around, putting the contract back into the tube, and walked over to Charon. "Charon, I hold your contract now," he addressed the tall ghoul. Amata watched in silence.

"So I see," Charon replied in his unique, gravelly voice. "If you would, I'd like to be excused for a moment."

Before Lloyd could respond, Charon walked past him and strode up to Azrukhal, even walking behind the bar. The finely dressed ghoul seemed very small compared the Charon.

"I'm told I'm no longer in your employ," Charon said.

Azrukhal nodded and smiled. "That's correct."

That smile was the last look Azrukhal ever had on his face. In one swift, fluid motion, Charon drew his shotgun and fired it, point-blank, into Azrukhal's face. The ghoul's head exploded and his body flew back.

Lloyd and Amata's eyes widened as they witnessed it happen. The ghouls in the room were watching, their expressions matching theirs. Before they could do anything about it, however, Charon shot the dead ghoul's body twice before standing there, breathing heavily.

After a few seconds, he turned to face a very shocked Lloyd and Amata. "We can go," he told Lloyd.

Lloyd threw his hands up. "What the fuck was that?" he nearly shouted.

Charon's gaze hardened as he loaded three shells into his shotgun. "Azrukhal was an evil bastard. He had it coming."

"You can't just execute people like that!" Amata cried. "That's horrible!"

Charon turned to regard her. "You haven't stood in a corner for as long as I have, watching him. I've seen every foul thing he's done."

Lloyd shook his head. "No, Charon, that's... she's right. You can't just walk up to someone and blow their head off. You... you just can't do that!"

"I see no reason why not. He deserved." Charon slid hid shotgun onto his back once more.

"Because he was unarmed! He wasn't going to physically attack you or anyone else!" Lloyd ran his hands through his hair. "I... I don't even know what to say about what you just did. I honestly don't."

"Consider this," Charon said, walking up to the two of them. "If he had continued to live, he would have continued to bring misery to others. Therefore, it is better that he is dead."

"Who the hell are you to make that kind of judgment?" Amata asked, appalled by this ghoul's sense of morality.

"I was his slave. He inflicted subtle tortures on me. He did much worse to others. And I watched, like I said." He turned to Lloyd. "Are we leaving?"

"You're not coming with us," Lloyd said. Charon cocked his head slightly. "After what I just saw, I can't let you stick around if you're going to do stuff like that."

Charon seemed confused. "I'm sorry, then. I know you didn't order me to. It was my choice, and I take full responsibility for it. But consider this, there will be no punishment." He turned around, seeing the small crowd of ghouls that had formed to observe the event unfolding. None of them moved very close. "They all hated Azrukhal as much as I did. I would have killed him long ago had it not been for his holding of my contract, because he tormented these people. Maybe not enough to have action taken against him, but I see through that facade. He deserved to die."

The mention of the small piece of paper made Lloyd remember he was still holding it. He held it up. "What is this to you, Charon?" he asked.

Charon blinked. "My contract."

"No," Lloyd said, "what is it to you?"

Charon paused for a moment. "My contract is my life," he answered.

"And if I were to take it out and tear it up?" Lloyd asked.

Charon grew silent, before asking, "Who are you?"

"My name is Lloyd Freeman."

"In tearing up my contract, Lloyd Freeman, you would end my life."

"And what exactly do you mean by that? Clarify it," he ordered.

"You would end my life under the contract," was the only answer the ghoul gave.

Lloyd stood there, contemplating all the ramifications and dangers of destroying the contract. Amata didn't know what to say or do, for in truth she was as unsure as Lloyd. The room all around them seemed so very quiet all of a sudden, as everyone watched Lloyd take the contract out of the tube, unroll it, and tear it in half.

Charon watched the two pieces of his contract fall down to the ground slowly, spinning and weaving around like feathers in the wind. He looked up, meeting Lloyd's uncertain stare.

"You took a risk. I told you that it was my life, and you tore it up," Charon said.

Lloyd slowly nodded. "I did."

Charon closed his eyes. "Thank you." He was still and completely silent.

Amata and Lloyd exchanged confused glances. "Charon?" Lloyd asked as the ghoul said nothing more.

Charon's dull blue eyes opened. "I was hoping you would." His face seemed to soften. His furrowed brow vanished, and his gritted teeth fell. "Of all of owners over the years, of all the people who saw me as property to be sold and used... bargained with… you didn't. You saw me as a person."

Lloyd was rather surprised by Charon's admission. "Slavery isn't right," he said, not really knowing what else to say.

"I agree with you, I do. In destroying my contract, you ended my life of slavery, which is what I was truly referring to. You have freed me, Lloyd Freeman, ended my indentured service to all those who saw me as a tool."

Lloyd shrugged a little bit. "Um… No problem?"

"And now, I am free to make my own choices." Charon took a deep breath and then exhaled. "And I choose to follow you."

Lloyd was a little flabbergasted at that. Amata put her hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Are we sure that's a good idea?" she asked.

"You gave me my freedom, and for that alone I am eternally grateful. But it is more than that. You are a good person and possessed of a noble spirit. I know this. I have seen it in your actions. You are someone I willingly would choose to follow."

Lloyd blinked a few times. "Charon, I... I don't know what to say..."

Charon, in a strange act of fealty, knelt before Lloyd and spoke, "Where you will travel, I shall follow, for good or for ill. From the dangers of the wasteland, I will to the best of my ability protect you and your allies. You, Lloyd Freeman, have destroyed my contract and because of it, I make my own contract, one without writing, only the words of my own solemn oath." He looked up at the surprised pair. "You have my shotgun, Lloyd Freeman."

"Charon, I'm flattered, really, but... I'm not sure," Lloyd said. He looked to Amata, but she was equally as surprised and uncertain of the strange actions Charon had just taken.

Charon pleaded, "Let me protect you, Lloyd Freeman. Let me guard you, travel with you. I will follow every order you give me, and model my actions around yours when I am forced to make decisions of my own."

Lloyd held up his hands. "I don't want to take advantage of you, Charon. What difference is does this offer have from slavery of you?"

"It's not slavery because I choose to follow you, Lloyd Freeman."

"Look, just call me Lloyd, alright?" he said, sighing. "I need you to tell me if you are truly sorry for murdering Azrukhal."

"I am sorry for the way I murdered him. But I am not sorry for murdering him. I swear to you that I will never do it again, as per your request."

Lloyd stood there, thinking for a moment. He looked at Amata. "What do you think?"

She shook her head. "I don't know, Lloyd. I really don't. I wasn't expecting this, and I know you weren't."

"You better believe it," he replied.

"But... you make good choices Lloyd, I know that much. I'm confident that you'll choose wisely."

Lloyd looked up at Charon. After a moment, he held out his hand.

"Well… welcome to the team, Charon."

Charon took his hand and shook it earnestly. "I am honestly happy to be a part of it," he said, even if his gravelly voice did not seem to share his mirth.

'What an odd fellow,' Amata thought.

Lloyd smiled and considered the ghoul's words. He got the feeling that Charon hadn't been happy in a long time. He felt good, having freed the ghoul from his life of torment and in doing so gained a new ally. He felt humbled by Charon's words, about him being a noble spirit and an example to follow. He had a confident feeling that Charon would make a good companion and friend.

And in this wasteland, those were like gold.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	10. Rivet City Revelations

Jabsco held his head down in shame as Burke fumed. "You just let them walk away?" the intimidating man shouted. "Just like that?"

"No!" Jabsco protested. "They killed my men, did this to me!" he indicated the freshly-cut scar on his face. Lloyd Freeman had given him that scar with Jabsco's own knife, Occam's Razor. "I didn't think—"

"No, you didn't, you shortsighted fool," Burke interrupted him. "You honestly tried to walk up and _taunt_ them? I told you to kill them on sight. No questions, no resolves, just simple murder. You can't even get that right?" He grabbed Jabsco's face and forced him to look up into Burke's eyes, behind his dark glasses. "Honestly, I don't know you got this far in Talon Company."

"I... I stabbed him! Right in the stomach, I stabbed Lloyd Freeman! He didn't even flinch!" Jabsco choked out. "He took it in the gut and kept going! He's some kind of fucking mutant or something!"

Burke nodded. "I already put that together from your report, you moron. Of course there's something strange. I don't doubt you when you say that he should have died. But that doesn't change the fact that you should have just shot him from a distance or done anything else of rudimentary strategic value!" Burke let go, pushing the ashamed commander back. Burke sighed. "And here I thought I had someone of reliability, Jabsco."

"Are... are you going to kill me?" Jabsco asked, gingerly rubbing his face. The cut had reopened and blood was slowly trickling out.

"No. You're even more useless to me dead, fortunately for you." Burke lit up a cigarette and looked out over the landscape. In the distance, he saw Megaton, that most despised place. He cursed the day he had ever met Lloyd Freeman in that filthy saloon. He spoke to the wounded commander with his back turned. "Listen to me, Jabsco, and listen good, because it will be the last time I ever tell you this. You are going to kill Lloyd Freeman and Amata Almodovar at any cost. Shoot on sight. Use dirty tactics. Lead them into traps. Break their spirit. But above all," he said, turning to face the commander, "kill them or you will die."

Jabsco swallowed, hard. "They... they were wearing Reilly's Rangers armor when we ambushed them," he said. "They're obviously affiliated with the group somehow."

"Then what does that tell you?" Burke asked.

"To... to go after the Rangers?" Jabsco meekly guessed.

"That's a good boy. You're learning, which is a start. Like I said, use your brain. When you ambush them, actually attempt to ambush them, not simply surround them and hope you can intimidate them into surrendering their lives. Don't disappoint me again, Jabsco. I don't have to remind you twice that I will kill you myself, do I?"

Jabsco nodded quickly and rushed back inside the top floor of Tenpenny Tower. He left the building shortly thereafter, headed back towards the center of Talon Company's operations, Fort Bannister, from which he didn't intend to leave any time soon.

Burke shook his head. 'Incompetent fools... all of them.' Burke continued to look out over the dark land around him. The moon and the stars illuminated the Capital Wasteland quite nicely, enough for him to make out recognizable landmarks. Minus the Washington Memorial, of course.

Lloyd Freeman concerned him. It wasn't just about personal revenge, though that had its own sweet appeal to it. It was more than that. People like Freeman and Almodovar got in the way of his progress. They were enemies, this Burke knew, and because of it, this strange duo from Vault 101 was a distinct threat to him. He knew that someday this pair, or someone like them, would come after Burke here in this tower, his seat of control. Tenpenny himself was a fool, more of a cover than anything else. He had long ago discerned how to manipulate the old man into doing or thinking or saying whatever he needed Allistair Tenpenny to do or think or say.

Burke could do without enemies. He knew that everyone could, but he knew that Lloyd Freeman in particular was a dangerous enemy to have. The two vault dwellers had become an increasingly unnerving mystery to the businessman, especially this latest revelation, this healing factor that Jabsco had seen with his own eyes. This potentially changed everything.

'This strange healing... Lloyd Freeman, my dear boy, you might be worth more to me than I once thought.'

He poured himself a glass of whiskey and then proceeded inside.

* * *

Having escorted Reilly all the way back to the Ranger Compound (a surprisingly uneventful trip, given how dangerous the D.C. ruins had proven to be) and in the newfound company of Charon (whom Jericho did not much enjoy having around, given his history of being kicked rather hard by the tall ghoul), Lloyd and Amata found themselves able to relax once more, only this time, it was in the company of their new friends. The Rangers were glad to have their leader back, as well as their newest members.

Lloyd and Amata, after being poked and prodded about it, began explaining their sojourn out of Vault 101. "So you left to look for your father?" Donovan asked.

Lloyd nodded. "Among other things. The Overseer had turned into some kind of villainous parody of what we thought he was."

"And that Overseer... he was your father?" Brick asked Amata; she nodded in response.

"How'd that make you feel?" Butcher asked. "I mean, he was your father."

Amata averted her eyes. "It was hard... at first. Really, the more I've thought about it, the more I find myself unable to regret my decision. What my father did... I don't think I could have stayed. I just had... reservations at first." She looked up at the group around her: Lloyd, Charon and most of the Rangers. Russ was curled up at her feet.

"Both of our fathers betrayed us... in a manner of speaking," Lloyd said. "I don't know why my father left the vault... but I'm going to track him down and find out why. That's why we can't stick around here much longer. We need to go back up to Galaxy News Radio and talk to Three Dog. He knows where my father is."

"How does he know, anyway?" Miles asked, taking a sip out of a coffee mug and then making a sour face. He got up to throw out the remaining coffee, but still listened to Lloyd's face.

"My dad, James, he went to see Three Dog. We followed in his footsteps, leading us to Galaxy News Radio. We met the Brotherhood outside and fought a bunch of super mutants with them."

"You met Three Dog?" Donovan asked, whistling. "Well, that's pretty damn neat. We hear him on the radio all the time, but none of us have ever met the man himself."

"He's... interesting, I'll give him that," Lloyd said, unintentionally quoting Sarah Lyons, the Brotherhood Sentinel they met outside of the G.N.R. building. "He gave us a job to do and we... well, we did it," he lied, looking over at Amata. "So now he should tell us where he went."

"When are you two leaving?" Butcher asked. "S'gonna be a shame to lose you guys when you do. The compound hasn't had such good company is a long time."

Lloyd was about to reply, but Amata beat him to it. "Morning. We figured we'd stay the night, then head out at daybreak."

"Well good!" Brick said with a smile, moving to stand up from her chair. "That'll leave me time to make you two a meal! You ain't ever had Tennessee-style cookin' I'll bet, so I'll fix you up with a dish of my famous beans!"

"Famous for being terrible..." Donovan muttered, standing up and grabbing a toolbox off of a countertop.

"Hey! I heard that!" Brick retorted. Donovan walked out of the room. "The hell're you goin', pretty boy?"

Donovan looked back and let out a sigh. "Your minigun isn't going to fix the busted radiator, Brick. Only my tools will. I'll see you guys later," he said to Lloyd, Amata and the silent Charon, who was standing in a darkened corner, listening intently.

Lloyd and Amata waved a goodbye. "Hey, where's Reilly?" Lloyd asked Butcher. "I haven't seen her since we got back.

"Main communications room," Butcher answered.

"Wanted to talk to her about something," Lloyd said, standing up. "Wanna come?" he invited Amata.

"I'll stay back," Amata waved him off. "You go ahead."

He nodded and left the room. When he heard footsteps behind him, he saw that it was Butcher. "Thought I'd come along. Something seemed a little off about Reilly when she came back, but I didn't want to bring it up."

"Alright, come on." The two of them walked to the compound's communications center. The room was lined with technology, various computer consoles and radio transmitters. One side of the room was lined with file cabinets. Reilly sat in front of a small desk, listening to the feint static sound of a radio. Lloyd walked up and she turned around.

"I was listening to your story in there. You two sound like you've been through hell," she said. She noticed Butcher standing behind her. "Oh. Hey, Carl."

Butcher's brow furrowed. "Something wrong, Reilly? You seem a little... off," he said. Lloyd could see it as well. Her eyes were a little sunken, and she seemed tired.

"Nah," she said and then looked back to Lloyd. "Hear you're heading out in the morning. Consider this place your home away from home, kid. I know it's no vault, but it should be close enough to it. If you're ever in the neighborhood, feel free to take shelter here."

"I appreciate it," Lloyd said. "That is, we all do, I mean."

"I guess that does it. See you around, kid." Reilly turned back to the radio.

"There's another thing, actually," Lloyd said, approaching the desk. He set a small sack of two-thousand caps on it. "We borrowed this money to buy Charon's contract, back in Underworld. The guy we paid was, well," Lloyd trailed off as he scratched the back of his head. "He's dead. It'd be a waste to have kept the caps on his corpse, so I figured we'd give them back."

Reilly listened to the tale, chuckling a bit. "Thanks, kid. We'll put'em to good use. I appreciate your honesty in the matter." She took the bag, putting into a the bottom shelf of a filing cabinet.

Lloyd was about to turn to leave, but stopped. "You sure you're alright?" he asked.

Butcher walked up behind Lloyd. Reilly sighed as she sat back down and turned her chair to face the two of them. "I don't know, guys. I don't know if I'm cut out for this kind of job anymore."

"What?" Butcher asked, surprise in his voice. "The hell kind of talk is that, Reilly?"

Lloyd was surprised as well. Reilly had never seemed to display a lack of confidence or any form of depression, but then again, he hadn't known her very long. People could surprise you quite easily sometimes. "You're the leader of the Rangers," Lloyd offered. "You have a responsibility to your team."

She shook her head. "I almost got everyone killed in Vernon Square. What kind of responsible leader does that? It was one bad decision after another."

Lloyd's tongue scraped the roof of his mouth as he considered what to say next. He usually had a gift for saying the right thing at the right time; he just needed to think about it first. "You can't blame yourself for that," Lloyd told her. "We all make mistakes. You were under heavy fire and pursuit by the super mutants. You can't have had a world of time to think about what you were going to do."

"Yeah, but I led the guys right into a corner! Theo died because I decided to take shelter in the hospital." Reilly sighed, and looked down. "I'm not so sure I could be trusted leading anyone at this point."

"Reilly..." Butcher said quietly.

Lloyd put his hand on her armored shoulder. "No. Theo died because of bad luck. That's all. It wasn't your fault, Reilly. It could have been anyone."

Reilly sighed and nodded. "Thanks. You're a sweet boy, Lloyd, to try and make me feel better about everything."

"It's what friends do," Lloyd said. He looked back at Butcher, who smiled.

After a moment, Reilly seemed to let out a troubled breath. "I just hope we can get back to doing what we do best, and soon," she replied, a hint of elation in her voice.

"Mapping?" Lloyd asked.

She nodded. "We have a lot of contacts demanding we finish, and soon."

Lloyd took his hand off of her shoulder and thought for a moment. "Maybe I can help. I'll be leaving soon, so maybe I can do some of the work while you stay here and get resituated."

Reilly looked up. "You'd risk your neck for me like that? Twice?"

He shrugged. "Well, sure, why not? We'll be leaving anyway. I figure that you could just use the help."

"Well... okay. I hadn't expected this, but I'll certainly take you up on it. Oh, and I insist on paying you. I won't take no for an answer," she stated, leaving no room for argument. It was clear from the tone in her voice that her confidence was being regained.

Lloyd held up his hands. "Fair enough. How will I do it, exactly?"

Reilly got up and proceeded to open up one of the filing cabinets that lined the wall. She pulled out a small device, not much larger than the palm of her hand. "Here," she said as she walked over and handed it to Lloyd, "take this geomapping module. Please don't lose it," she insisted, "it took Donovan a year to develop it and I only have a few."

Lloyd gingerly inspected the device. It resembled a computer circuit board. "What do I do with it?"

"You'll have to let Donovan install it on your Pip-Boy. Once he does, it'll record information about various locations you visit. It'll only be augmented by your built-in map system," she explained. "It'll upload all of your map's data automatically, in fact, and whenever you come back, we can copy the data and you'll get paid."

"That's damn nifty... how'd you use these things before, without a Pip-Boy?" he asked.

Butcher spoke up to answer his question. "We actually do have one, but it's mostly broken. It mostly just houses the data as we traverse the ruins."

"Interesting," Lloyd said as he looked at his own Pip-Boy. "You know, I never really thought about it, but I wonder how many vaults are actually around the wasteland, and just how many people have left them like we did."

"There's at least a hundred others, right? I mean, you were born in Vault 101," Butcher joked.

Lloyd's blood chilled for a moment. He hadn't told them that he wasn't actually born in the vault, as he had learned from Colin Moriarty. The daunting truth of his birth only served to motivate him further into finding his father. "Yeah," he responded rather weakly, "at least a hundred more."

"I'll call Donovan up to install it. We'll need it off your arm, of course," Reilly said.

"I do hope this all hasn't been some kind of scheme to steal my Pip-Boy," Lloyd smiled as he took the computer-like device off of his arm. It felt good to have cool air touch the slightly paler skin that had been beneath it. Lloyd chuckled at bit when he realized that the sun had been giving him a bit of a tan, only noticeable when compared to skin that hadn't been exposed to sunlight.

"Of course not," Reilly said as she took it. She looked back at Carl. "We've got it, Butcher. Knock him out and drag him outside."

"Funny, Reilly," Butcher said.

"I thought so," she replied.

Lloyd's eyes widened a bit in surprise as the two shared a quick kiss.

"What?" Reilly said, seeing the look on his face. "Never seen a kiss before?"

Lloyd, a little embarrassed, replied, "No, I just… So how long will the installation of the geomapping module take?" he changed the subject.

"Not very long, I'm sure. Donovan works fast," she told him.

"Alright. Well, when I get it back, I'll probably head to bed."

"Sounds like a plan, kid," she said. "Have a good one."

"You too," Lloyd said as he exited the room.

"Pretty amazing kid," Reilly said when he was out of hearing distance.

"One in a million, alright," he agreed. "The both of them. And their friends are pretty interesting, too."

"Hey, I was just thinking... You know those stories Three Dog puts on the radio, the ones about Dashwood or whatever his name is?" she asked.

"Yeah... What about 'em?"

"I was just wondering what it would be like to hear stories of that kid on the radio someday. I'd tune in to listen."

Butcher shrugged a bit. "Who knows?"

* * *

The next morning, the four and their canine left the Ranger Compound, waving goodbye to the good friends they had made. With an all-new stock of food and ammo, all supplied by the Rangers, they were confident that they would reach the G.N.R. plaza in no time. As they walked, entering the underground tunnel system that they had been using for transit during the majority of their time in the D.C. ruins, their ghoul companion decided to be the first to break the silence.

"Lloyd Freeman," Charon spoke up.

"Yeah?" Lloyd replied.

"I wanted to say how interesting your story was. It is unlike any I have ever heard."

"Oh... well, I'm glad it entertained you, Charon," Lloyd said.

Amata, despite her slight discomfort with the tall ghoul, decided to ask him, "What about your story, Charon? What is your past like?"

Charon stopped walking and looked at her. Amata stopped, as did the other three. Charon said nothing as he stared Amata down with his pale blue eyes and unreadable expression. She found herself becoming rather uneasy with this ghoul giving her this blank look. The loudest thing around was the sound of dripping water from a crack in a pipe running along the wall.

"Charon?" Lloyd said, trying to break the silence. He wasn't sure what was about to happen, or what the ghoul might have been thinking.

Jericho stepped back, content to just watch.

Finally, Charon spoke. "I don't remember my childhood, Amata Almodovar. If I did, I would tell you."

Amata blinked a few times before slightly pulling at the cloth wrapped around her neck from her stormchaser hat. "I, uh... okay, then," she said. "I'm... sorry I brought it up."

"Don't be, Amata Almodovar," he said before looking back to Lloyd. "Lloyd Freeman, we may continue north."

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow. "Charon... if you're going to hang around, which I don't mind, could you, maybe, not refer to us in such a way?"

"In what such way, Lloyd Freeman?" the ghoul asked.

"That one, right there, with both our first and last name. Just call me 'Lloyd' and just call her 'Amata,' alright?" he told Charon, pointing to Amata when he referred to her.

Charon paused for a moment. "Very well. Lloyd and Amata, we may proceed north."

The sound of condescending laughter drew all of their eyes to Jericho. "Jesus, kid, you sure know how to pick 'em. Of all the damn ghouls in the world, we had to end up with the freak."

"He kicked your ass, Jericho," Lloyd quipped, bringing up their first night in Underworld, in which Jericho had gotten drunk and Charon threw him out of the Ninth Circle. "And I said to keep that kind of shit to yourself."

Jericho just shook his head and threw away his cigarette. "Yeah, yeah, kid, keep talking. Just lemme know when we start shooting shit again. Been forever since I killed something."

"You mean since yesterday?" Amata asked with a tint of sarcasm. Jericho shot her a nasty look, which was countered by Lloyd stepping between them. He motioned north, and they resumed their trek.

Roughly a half hour later, as they entered a large metro station, Russ held his head low and began barking. They raised their weapons, taking it as a warning, but Russ ran forward and vanished behind a train. Confused, they slowly approached, rounding the front of the train car to discover Russ sniffing the bodies of three dead Talon Company mercs.

"The hell happened here?" Lloyd said as he lowered his rifle and approached. Russ looked up and whined.

"Why'd your dog start barkin' if there wasn't anything dangerous?" Jericho said with an obvious amount of disappointment present in his voice.

"Jesus, Lloyd, look at these guys..." Amata said, leaning down next to one of the bodies. The merc's arm ended abruptly in a bloody stump. The arm itself was several feet away, mangled and gnawed. "These guys are grouped together... no gunshots, no explosive damage..."

"You sure about that?" Lloyd asked her. She looked up.

"I think we've shot enough people and blown up enough people for me to know what it looks like, Lloyd," she countered. "There's nothing to indicate that they died by, well, human hands, I guess is the best way to put it. Something tore these guys apart. Remember the outside of the Super-Duper Mart?"

He nodded. "The wastelander and the giant scorpion. Think one of those did that to these guys?"

"I don't know... turn this guy over," she told him, pointing to one in the middle. Lloyd set his rifle down and did just that. They both gasped at the visage of the man's mutilated front side. His armor had been pulled apart and whatever had done so exposed his innards and, clearly, it had enjoyed munching on them.

"Holy shit..." Lloyd said breathlessly. He looked at the other two. Slash marks, torn-off limbs... Lloyd wasn't sure how much more dead someone could be.

"Lloyd Freeman," Charon said, accidentally calling him by his full name. "This place is not safe." Charon's shotgun was in his hands, and he was slowly turning in place, scanning the area. Russ began growling.

"Guns up," Lloyd ordered, keeping his voice hushed. The room they were in was large, dark and easy for something, anything really, to hide in. Certainly big and dark enough for whatever killed these Talon Company mercs to hide in.

Lloyd, Jericho and Charon all had their guns up. Amata was getting nervous. Her hand went to her belt, where the sword she had claimed from the bounty hunter her father had hired was sheathed. She gripped its hilt tightly, trying to find comfort in its feel.

Suddenly, Lloyd jerked upwards. "Anybody else here that?" he asked, trying to hide the rising panic in his voice.

"Nothing," Charon said.

"I could have sworn I heard something," Lloyd said. He wiped the beading sweat from his forehead. He wasn't liking this tense situation. Russ continued growling, sensing something.

"Ain't got nothing, kid," Jericho said as he walked around the train, putting some distance between himself and the others. "Only shadows."

Lloyd almost jumped when Amata put her hand on his shoulder. "Lloyd, we should get out of here. I'm scared," she said, slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, me too. Something isn't right about this..."

"There!" Charon suddenly shouted, raising his shotgun and firing at something atop a train car. Everyone shouted and looked, but saw nothing.

"Where!" Lloyd cried, rising his rifle and aiming it from side to side, desperately trying to see where, or what, it was.

Charon lowered his shotgun. "Gone!"

"Did you actually see something?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes!" he insisted, before thinking silently for a moment. "At least, I could have sworn I saw it..."

"Damn ghoul's eyes are playing tricks on him, kid. Let's just get the hell outta here," Jericho said. Though he wouldn't admit it himself, he was getting a bit jumpy himself.

Lloyd heard something again. It sounded like footsteps, but they only lasted a second. The next sound he heard sounded like breathing. Russ barked three times, but was still walking in circles, unsure of where the enemy was.

"Tell me, anybody, tell me they're hearing what I'm hearing..." Lloyd said, almost spinning in place. The sounds were coming from all around.

"It's playing with us..." Charon muttered.

"What is?" The fright in Amata's voice was prevalent.

"I'm gettin' real tired of this cat and mouse shit!" Jericho shouted, his voice echoing. "This fuckin' thing should come out and fight!" Jericho shook his head and then heard a noise to his left. He looked. He suddenly shouted, "What the?" and fired as something big, larger than a man, charged out of the shadows at him, grabbed him and carried him into the shadows as he shouted and fired his assault rifle.

Lloyd shouted his name and ran forward, straining his eyes in the darkness as he tried to see where Jericho had gone. Jericho's rifle continued firing, but the sounds were coming from all over. Russ was barking fiercely at the darkness, but even the canine had no idea where Jericho and the monster were.

"It's carrying him!" Charon shouted, raising his shotgun and trying to follow the noise. "The damn thing's running circles around us! On the walls!"

"Where!" Lloyd couldn't see a thing. "Where the hell is it?"

"There!" Charon suddenly said, looking up at a higher floor that could be reached by immobile escalators. Lloyd and Amata looked up and saw, for the briefest moment, the silhouette of some kind of horned monster holding Jericho in its hand. Lloyd tried to fire at it, but it was gone, moving with the fluidity of a serpent, causing his bullet to miss and hit the ceiling.

"Follow it!" Lloyd ordered as he and Russ charged up the staircase. Charon pursued the two, followed by Amata. They heard Jericho's painful cries coming from a tunnel that led to the surface, followed by a jarring sound that was not unlike metal being torn apart. They quickly continued moving upwards until they hit stairs that were lit by sunlight. They were on the surface.

Lloyd quickly surveyed his surroundings, searching for his raider companion, when he realized something. "Chevy Chase!" he said. "We're in Chevy Chase!" They weren't far off from the G.N.R. building. In fact, they were only a small distance away where they were saved by Sarah Lyons and the Brotherhood of Steel from a super mutant ambush.

Amata ran up behind him. "Where's Jericho?"

"Lloyd," Charon said silently yet intently. Lloyd looked over and saw Charon standing very still, looking down the road at something. Russ was growling in the same direction, poised to charge but unmoving. Lloyd followed their gazes and then lost his breath.

If it were to stand fully upright, Lloyd didn't doubt that it was be over eight feet tall, but it was hunched over. Its body was roughly humanoid, but nothing about it was human. Everything about it seemed demonic, right up to the horns atop its head. Its arms, longer than Lloyd himself, ended in wickedly long claws. Its skin was rough and leathery, seemingly reptilian, with a very feint shimmering quality. Its legs bent backwards near the feet, like a goat's legs, or rather a devil's. The feet had three claws at the ends of its toes. Though Lloyd couldn't see them, large spines ran down the center of its back, all the way to the end of its prehensile tail, which was completely still. Its head was the worst, though. Terrible jaws with large teeth set beneath two small nostrils, and its eyes were a piercingly bright white.

And it held a bleeding and unconscious Jericho in one hand, the other held above him, with a claw prepared to undoubtedly slice him in half.

It stared at the four of them, unmoving.

"No sudden moves," Charon advised. "It's a deathclaw."

"A what?" Lloyd whispered. "Deathclaw?"

"They're rare, the stuff of wasteland legends..." Charon said. He wasn't moving; he was holding up his shotgun and standing completely still. His breathing was very slow and methodical as he struggled to maintain complete control of his movements.

"Lloyd, it's looking right at us..." Amata whispered. She was terrified by this creature. Everyone was. Both she and Lloyd knew that something like this shouldn't exist outside of nightmares. While they had witnessed a variety of creatures in the wasteland during their days above ground, nothing measured up to the beast which held their ally in its grasp. This thing, this deathclaw, looked as though a demon had stepped right out of hell itself.

"What do we do?" Lloyd asked slowly. He wasn't sure how effective his weapons would be. He was starting to think that holy water and a bible might be better tools against it than any gun.

"I don't know..." Charon said. The situation wasn't preferable. If they fired, they might hit Jericho or cause the deathclaw to tear him apart.

The monster kept looking at them. The tension of the moment was palpable.

They didn't need to decide. A noise suddenly rose in the area, coming from the east. It sounded like a high-pitched howling noise. The deathclaw immediately picked up its head and turned to the east, detecting something they could not. It dropped Jericho and ran off, leaping over a damaged bus. And then it was gone as quickly as it had arrived, disappearing behind the vehicle.

They watched it run away with confusion, initially. They quickly regained their senses and dashed to help Jericho, who was bleeding rather profusely from a cut in his upper left leg. Lloyd wasted no time in getting out his medical pack. Amata ran ahead and promised to return quickly with help from the Brotherhood, if any of its members were still in the G.N.R. building. Russ followed her at Lloyd's bidding.

Lloyd and Charon worked together to stem the bleeding and clean the wound. Utilizing Med-X and a few stimpaks, Jericho was brought back to consciousness. Around that time, Amata reappeared with Russ and two Brotherhood members. With their power armor-enhanced strength, they were able to easily pick up Jericho and help him to the G.N.R. building. One supported his torso and the other his legs, both walking sideways, mindful of the difficult terrain so as not to trip.

"Is there a place inside where he can lay down?" Lloyd asked. One of the Brotherhood knights nodded.

"There's a crew quarters section for Brotherhood members stationed here," the other told them. "There're beds. We'll set him down in there."

"Good, because we need to talk to Three Dog," Amata said. Lloyd looked over at her. He had been more focused on the wounded Jericho and had almost forgotten the reason of why they had come back in the first place.

"He'll be upstairs in his studio, where he always is," the first Brotherhood knight spoke. "Go on up. We'll make sure your friend gets to a bed and that our medic sees to him."

"Charon, stay with Jericho for me, please," Lloyd asked the tall ghoul.

Charon nodded. "I will."

"Hey, kid..." Jericho muttered. Lloyd leaned over. Jericho's expression was pained, but he was smiling. He held up two fingers. "Two shots."

"What?" He wasn't sure what Jericho meant. Two shots of Med-X? Two stimpaks?

"Two shots. Right in that fuckin' thing's neck. Two shots, I got."

"Oh," Lloyd said, realizing what he meant. He flashed a thumbs-up. "Nice job, Jericho."

"Fucked it up..." Jericho said, before rolling his head back, riding the euphoric effects of the drugs they had shot him up with. Lloyd clapped the grizzled raider's shoulder a few times. "You'll be alright, Jericho. You're a hell of a fighter." Confident that Jericho was in good hands, Lloyd and Amata walked at a less urgent pace towards the radio station. Russ followed them, wagging his tail.

They entered the radio station and continued past the Brotherhood defensive barricades, moving upstairs. They opened the door to Three Dog's studio, but he was nowhere in sight. "Three Dog?" Lloyd called out.

A moment later, the man himself walked down some stairs. He looked at the two for a moment, took off his sunglasses and blinked a few times, as if in disbelief.

"Well, holy shit," he said, a smile fast forming on his face. "You two crazy cats are alive."

Lloyd spoke first. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"This is out of sight!" Three Dog exclaimed. He walked over to them very briskly. Clearly he was excited about something. "Listen, I don't have a lot of time on my music break. When the next song ends, can you two be ready to go on live radio?"

The request surprised them quite a bit. "The station is working?" Lloyd asked.

He nodded. "Yes! You're not going to believe the luck I had, but somebody managed to get us a new broadcasting dish and a location for it!"

"Who?" Amata asked.

"That's the crazy part. The benefactor wishes to remain anonymous." Three Dog shrugged. "The letter I got from whoever it was just told me what to do on my end, and that he was a very big fan and didn't want to see the show die."

"That's... interesting..." Lloyd said. "And a little... ominous. Though it kinda makes me feel like we almost died for nothing."

"Oh... well c'mon, don't think of it that way. Surely something good's happened to you two since I sent you out. I mean, either you joined the Rangers, or you killed them," Three Dog laughed. "I'm guessing it's the former."

"Some good things, yeah," Amata said. "So, wait, you want us to go on the radio? Like, talking on the radio?"

"A live interview! It'll be the perfect way to kick off the return of the station." Three Dog paused for a moment, listening intently. "Alright, this song's wrapping up. Follow me."

* * *

He rushed them upstairs into his recording area. He sat behind a table with all sorts of buttons and switches, and pushed a microphone on the end of an arm towards them. "I only have one extra, so you'll just have to share," he said. "Grab two chairs from behind you there and pull them up. And listen, just be yourselves. Be cool and relax, you know. Don't even think about the people listening. Just think it's a conversation with me, alright?"

Before they could respond, he flipped a switch and spoke into his own microphone. "Now those were some real classic tunes right there, weren't they kids? This is Three Dog," he then held his head back and howled, surprising them both with the eccentric action, "and I'm coming to you live from Galaxy News Radio in downtown D.C., celebrating our being back on the air. Kids, I've got a real surprise for you. Right here, in the studio with me, I've got two crazy cats destined for wasteland glory, or a shallow grave in the dust."

They exchanged nervous glances.

"We've got two vault dwellers here, folks. That's right, actual people from a vault, who crawled out to get the sun on their backs, along with a little dirt and blood on their jumpsuits. We have, as our distinguished guests, appearing in their first ever radio broadcast, the Wandering Pair from Vault 1-0-1! Here, how about the two of you introduce yourselves?" Three Dog pointed at the microphone.

They were silent for a second. Three Dog frantically pointed at the microphone in front of them.

Lloyd leaned over. "Uh... Lloyd Freeman."

Amata did the same. "I'm Amata Almodovar."

"So! Lloyd, Amata, tell me and the listeners, what was it like in the vault?"

Lloyd decided to go first. "It was... cleaner than it is out here." Three Dog laughed, slapping his knee.

"Ya don't say?" he asked, laughing a little more. "Anything else?"

Lloyd continued, "Well, it was, uh, well-lit… It had clean water, good food. Everybody knew each other down there."

"Now I ain't ever had the chance to really learn about how people lived in those vaults. But I imagine a lotta people in the wasteland know about them and they're just as curious. How'd you live in there? Was it packed full of people?"

Amata answered this next one. "The vault was designed to accommodate a wide variety of people and was in no shortage of room. It was equipped with everything we would need to survive. We had a gymnasium, a baseball field, classrooms and a plentiful amount of living quarters."

"You know, out here in the dismal and abysmal Capital Wasteland, people struggle each day for survival. But I hear that life in a vault tries to copy life before the bombs fell. I hear everyone in a vault has a role to fill in down there. What was yours?"

"I was, well, am, the Overseer's daughter."

"The Overseer? And what exactly does the Overseer oversee?"

"The Overseer is the leader of the vault. He's tasked with making sure we all survive... But he didn't."

"What do you mean?"

Amata seemed to struggle to find the right words as she explained, "The Overseer... my father, I mean, he... well, let's just say I saw him for who he truly was."

"And what was he, if you don't mind my asking?"

"A liar, a coward and a murderer," Amata said coldly.

"Woah! A murderer? What brought him to do that?"

Lloyd put his hand on her shoulder. "I think I should take over from here. I... grew up in the vault, but I wasn't born there. I just never knew until I left. But growing up in the vault, life was... good. My father raised me alone. My mother was dead, but I never knew her, so it's not so painful. My father, James, was a scientist and a medical doctor. A surgeon as well, when the need arose. He was the most experienced man in the vault in those fields."

"Lemme back you up a bit, Lloyd; you say that you weren't born in the vault? Where were you born?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out. I have to find my father. He left the vault, leaving me behind with a hundred questions and no answers. Amata woke me up one morning, telling me that my father was gone and the Overseer's men had killed Jonas, my father's assistant and friend. He was my friend, too."

"What happened next?"

"I fought my way out of the vault through security guards and a massive radroach infestation. I watched as two guards executed two youths, Tom and Mary Holden, for trying to leave like my father had."

"Did they try to kill you?" Lloyd nodded. "And I'm guessin' that they failed."

"They're dead," Lloyd replied, rather disconnected. Amata squeezed his hand, offering her support.

"So tell us, Lloyd... how'd it make you feel?"

Lloyd looked up. "How'd it feel to be a murderer? Not good."

"But a murderer of murderers," Three Dog said. "That's not so bad."

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, it's easy to say they had it coming. So that's what I say."

"If you ask me, they did have it coming. Survival of the fittest, Lloyd. We all do what we need to do to survive."

"Right." Lloyd took a deep breath. "The Overseer was torturing Amata, trying to find out where I was. I busted in, she ran and I exchanged parting words with the man himself."

"You killed him?"

"No, no. I didn't. But by then I had killed five guards and wanted nothing more to do with that place. I left."

"And Amata came with you?"

Lloyd allowed Amata to pick up where he left off. "I was unsure at first, but he convinced me. The more I think about it... the less I regret it. I don't think I could have stood living in that place with my father any longer. He was always so controlling, so manipulative. Now that we're out here... we're free."

"So that brings us to why the both of you left. Do you ever think you'll go back?"

They were silent for a moment. "I don't think I will," Lloyd answered first.

A moment later, Amata agreed, "I don't think so too."

Three Dog nodded. "So, you two are going to stay out here in the wastes. You picked a hell of a vacation spot." In spite of revisiting the memories of the day they left the vault, they managed to smile at Three Dog's joke. "So, Lloyd, tell me, how long have you known Amata?"

Lloyd thought for only a moment. "All my life. Growing up, she was only a few months younger than I."

"So the same goes for you too, Amata? Cool. When'd you two realize you had the hots for each other?"

Lloyd nearly choked on his own spit. "I'm sorry?" Amata was similarly surprised at the blunt question.

"C'mon. You grew up together in tight quarters, you left the vault together, you wander wastes together... it's all impossibly romantic," Three Dog chuckled as he gave them a wide smile.

Amata spoke into the microphone. "I'd hardly consider getting shot at by super mutants romantic."

"Don't dodge the question, now. The ladies of the wasteland deserve to know how little their chances of hooking up with Lloyd are."

Hoping to get it out of the way, as he didn't often talk about his personal involvements with Amata, Lloyd answered. "It was about two years ago, when we were seventeen."

"So you two lovebirds grew up together and fell in love. You know, some people would kill for that kind of luck."

"Yeah... Lord knows we've been nothing but lucky since the day we left the vault," Amata said sarcastically.

"Hey, hey, there ain't a reason to focus on the bad. Focus on the good! Focus on the love, baby! There's so much pain in the world, so much suffering and fear. Love washes that away for those few, precious moments when you can truly connect with someone. It's what makes all the struggle and fighting for living worthwhile."

They were getting a little uncomfortable.

Three Dog continued, changing the subject. "So, I know the next part of this story. You two went to Megaton, following Lloyd's dad, where you, Lloyd, fixed the town's water pipes before you went and disarmed that nuclear ticking time bomb from which the town got its namesake."

"That's correct," Lloyd said. "We met some really interesting and nice people in Megaton, and during our stay we got this little guy here, our dog Russ." Lloyd leant down to pet the canine on his head.

Amata nodded. "But we brought some trouble to the town, so we left."

"I've heard as much," Three Dog said grimly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear your side of what happened."

Lloyd started up again. "It started when I met a man named Burke in the saloon."

"Oh, I've heard too much about this guy lately. But go on."

"He offered to pay me a lot of caps to detonate the atomic bomb in the center of the town. I reported him to the sheriff, Lucas Simms, who tried to arrest Burke. A lot of things happened, but Burke ended up on the floor with a broken nose, courtesy of Amata's baseball bat."

"Sounds like he got an old fashioned ass-kicking," Three Dog said with a smile. "What happened next, though?"

Amata decided to handle the next bit. "We were out doing a job for Moira Brown when the town was attacked by Talon Company mercenaries. They broke Burke out and rushed him back to Tenpenny Tower."

"Tenpenny Tower? You mean that high and mighty joint that won't let ghouls in?"

Lloyd shrugged. "We haven't heard of anything like that. All we know is that Burke, Tenpenny Tower, Talon Company and this group called Littlehorn & Associates are all connected, and they all want us dead."

"Dead, huh? That's not what I would call a preferred state of being."

Amata nodded, adding, "To say the least of the situation."

"Now, to the best of my knowledge, you found out about me and came here, isn't that right?"

She continued, "More or less, yes. We learned that James had come to see you, so we hired a guy to lead us here. An old raider, Jericho. So we came here. Before that, though, some raiders attacked Megaton in the wake of Talon Company's attack. They were fended off, and we went to go deal with them."

"Stone cold justice at its finest," Three Dog said. "Raiders are just assholes."

Amata went on to add, "But on the way over, we met our first super mutant, and believe it or not, it wasn't trying to kill us."

"His name was Uncle Leo," Lloyd explained. "And we had a real nice chat with him before he went off on his own way."

Three Dog's voice turned disbelieving. "You mean you two met a nice super mutant, who could talk? Like normal people? I mean, I know super mutants can talk and all, but I wouldn't call them very conversational."

Amata nodded. "He definitely set a standard that most super mutants, at least all the other ones we've seen and have shot at us, can't measure up to. But he told us where the super mutants come from. They're not born, you see, but created in some place up north. That's why the super mutants capture people and take them places and they're never seen again. It's because they're being turned into more super mutants."

"That's amazing. Uncle Leo told you all of this? Kids, you're solving mysteries people haven't been able to solve for years, here. You're telling us that all that reason they kidnap others is to convert them into even more super mutants?"

"That's precisely it," Lloyd said, "straight from the mouth of the only intelligent super mutant in a hundred miles."

"Amazing... What's more amazing is that it also explains how the super mutants have always been able to replenish their numbers. The Brotherhood has been trying to figure out how for years! But what happened next?"

"Well, we came here for the first time. We helped the Brotherhood of Steel reclaim the area outside of the building we're sitting in right now."

"But before we met for the first time, you two killed a couple tons worth of super mutant behemoth!"

"She did, actually," Lloyd said. "I was just there."

"Actually," Amata said, "immediately afterwards, Lloyd blew off the arm of a much bigger super mutant with red skin."

"Amazing what a couple mini nukes can do, isn't it?" Lloyd said with a smile. "So, we came inside and met you. You asked us to go do you a favor, and in exchange you'd tell us where my father went."

"That's right, for helping to fight the good fight. I asked you to fetch a satellite dish from the old museum of technology and fix it to the top of the Washington Monument back when G.N.R. was experiencing its technical difficulties. And of course, as all of our listeners know, the Washington Monument is no more. Now, having sat up in here for so many hours thinking about it, I've gotta be honest with the two of you: I refuse to believe that it's just a coincidence. Care to shed some light on the truth of the matter?"

"Well, we went to the Maul, like you told us to, where we discovered the recovering gargantuan super mutant. He was sitting right in the middle of the Maul. Not knowing what else to do, we entered the museum and got the dish after fighting our fair share of super mutants."

"So you got the dish, like I knew you would. How's this lead up with the collapse of the monument?"

"We split up and ran like hell," Lloyd said. "Amata and Jericho took off in two directions, while Russ and myself made straight for the monument. The big red guy noticed me, though. He stood up, and well, this is going to be hard to believe, but he somehow mutated his remaining arm and made it twice as big. And he chased after me."

"Bullshit," Three Dog said. "For real?"

"Dead serious. I ran into the monument, and he started punching the base of it, trying to get at me. He punched and punched, knocking debris aside and whole chunks of it, until finally it fell right on top of him."

Three Dog laughed. "That's amazing! Big red bastard brought the thing down on top of himself, that's beautiful! Let that be a lesson to all you listeners out there: if you want to get rid of something big, drop something bigger on top of it!" Three Dog clapped his hands. "So that's the mystery behind the end of the monument, folks! The biggest building in the Capital Wasteland killed the biggest mutant in the Capital Wasteland. That's the real beauty of it, you know. So, with the tower destroyed and the mutant dead, what happened next? I'm dying to know."

Lloyd felt like he had been talking too much and offered the microphone up to Amata. She began, "Lloyd was just lucky to have survived the monument's falling. Considering where he was, at the bottom," she lied, looking over at him, "he was lucky. I thought he was dead, but he crawled out of the wreckage and found me. Russ and Jericho found their way up to us not long after. Not knowing what else to do, we went to Underworld."

"The ghoul city?"

"That's right. We went there and spent the night. The ghouls there, while a little nervous about smoothskins like us, were very hospitable and we met a lot of great people there."

"See? That's what I've been saying this whole time," Three Dog said. "You hear that, listeners? The ghouls of Underworld are downright nice people; honest people. But please, go on."

"Well... it was there, in the Chop Shop, which is their hospital, we saw an unconscious woman. The next morning, we learned that her name was Reilly, and that she was the leader of Reilly's Rangers. So had the doctor wake her up and she told us that the Rangers were in big trouble. They were trapped on the roof of the Statesman Hotel and under heavy fire by the super mutants."

Three Dog spoke up, "The Rangers are a merc company that help map the ruins, while helping to fight the good fight, for all the listeners out there who don't know. You can recognize them by the green armor they were, much like the armor Lloyd and Amata are wearing right now. I take it you joined them?"

Amata waved her finger. "I'm getting to that part, be patient," she smiled. "So we volunteered to rescue them. Me made it to the hotel, fought our way up, then fought our way down with the Rangers, then we all fought our way across the ruins to their compound where they made us honorary members."

Lloyd cut in. "And the armor fits really nicely, too. If you guys are listening, thanks a lot. Really comfortable in the private area," he joked.

Amata laughed, elbowing Lloyd in the side. She continued, "So we went back to Underworld, to get Reilly, but before that, we had our first run-in with Talon Company."

"The badasses in black and at the end of Burke's leash, huh?"

"The same. We fought them off, though. We're positive we'll see them again, but the point is we made it to Underworld, where we picked up Reilly and another follower. But, since I still have yet to fully understand Lloyd's decision to buy him, I'll let him explain."

"Buy him?" Three Dog inquired.

"I'll let Lloyd explain, like I said."

Lloyd scratched the back of his neck. "Well, on our first stay to Underworld, there was a bar known as the Ninth Circle, right? Well, our friend Jericho likes to have himself a drink every now and then. I'm not so sure what he did, as he's stubborn and won't tell us, but he was thrown out by the bouncer, a tall ghoul named Charon. I went up and had a talk with the bar's owner, Azrukhal, who told me that Charon was basically his slave. Charon had a strange background, you see. He was conditioned to obey the orders of whoever held his contract. Azrukhal was a sick man, who cheated and conned his patrons out of their money and loved every bit of it. Charon watched him do this, and hated him for it, but couldn't move against him."

"That's amazing. I've never heard of anything like that."

"I offered to buy the contract, to free Charon from this torment Azrukhal was putting him through, but he wouldn't sell Charon for less than two thousand caps. I didn't have the money, but the Rangers did. Out of the kindness of their hearts, and I suppose thanks for us saving them, they let us have the money, and when we went back to Underworld, I bought his contract. Charon then shot Azrukhal in the face."

"Woah! This ghoul of yours sounds crazy!"

"Well, not really. Charon shot Azrukhal because he felt Azrukhal deserved it for causing so much pain. It's hard to believe, but Charon honestly felt that his evil had to be stopped. So, I tore up his contract and told him he was free. And, uh, now he follows us around."

"That's a pretty strange story. You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"It sounds confusing only because it is," Lloyd said. "I still haven't figured it all out myself. But he's a welcome companion on our travels, and he's good with a shotgun."

"So, I'm guessing from there you brought Reilly back to the compound?"

Lloyd nodded. "That's exactly it. Stayed there the night. We traveled north to here. And then... we, uh, fought a deathclaw."

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold the phone!" Three Dog said. "A deathclaw? You mean those things mommies and daddies use to frighten their kids with?"

"It was every bit as scary as those stories make them out to be. Big, scaly, with claws and teeth capable of shredding a man to pieces. Trust me; we saw its handy work before it attacked us. It carried off Jericho, and we gave chase. It ran into Chevy Chase, not far from this very building, and then... it dropped Jericho and ran away."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. We don't know why, but we got some Brotherhood members to help us carry him inside. And that... pretty much brings us to right now, Three Dog. Jericho's downstairs recovering, riding out the Med-X we gave him, and Charon's helping by standing guard over him."

Three Dog sat back. "Wow... You know, I think I need to take a minute to soak in everything I just learned. That is the most amazing story I have ever heard, folks, and it's all one-hundred percent true, straight from the honest mouths of Lloyd Freeman and Amata Almodovar, AKA, the Wandering Pair from Vault 101. Let me thank both of you for coming on here and giving me the finest bit of radio talk I've ever hosted! As I put on his music for of you out there, I've got some unfinished business with Lloyd and telling him where his father went. Wish them the best of luck, all you wastelanders out there, and who knows? Maybe the next chapter of their lives told over the radio will include you."

Three Dog flipped a switch, then immediately punched his fist in the air. "That was beautiful! Best damn show I've ever done! I'm getting word from the guys downstairs that more people tuned in than ever before! Hahaha!"

"How can you tell?" Lloyd asked.

"There's a little teleprompter on my side of the desk that the people downstairs can use to talk to me. I'm telling you, kids, everybody in the wasteland now knows your story!"

"Really, I'm just happy that your radio station is back on," Lloyd said, "but about my father..."

"Right, right, of course. After all you've been through, how could I not tell you where your dad is? I'd be a horrible person to hold keep that from you. When your dad passed through here, he and I talked for a good long time. He's a real stand-up kinda guy. He mentioned some scientific mumbo-jumbo which didn't make much sense to me and mentioned something called "Project Purity." Know anything about it?"

"No, never heard of it before," Lloyd said. "Project Purity... Huh. Nothing," he shrugged.

"Well, right afterwards he mentioned going to see a Dr. Li in Rivet City. Then he left in a hurry."

"Rivet City?" Amata asked. "Where's that?"

"Wow... You know, for a minute there, I forgot you guys came out of a hole in the ground. Well, a whole bunch of people got together and turned a beached aircraft carrier into a town. Pretty cool, huh? Just follow the river south from here. There's no way you can miss it, it's big as hell, after all."

"Rivet City, huh? Alright. That's where we're headed. Thanks, Three Dog," Lloyd said, holding out his hand.

"No," Three Dog said, shaking it eagerly. "Thank you."

* * *

The Wandering Pair, as they were now known, were offered by Three Dog to remain for the rest of the day and night for Jericho's benefit as he was medically tended to and given a chance to rest. The two wayward vault dwellers were appreciative of his hospitality, and Three Dog appreciated their appearance on his show. All around the Capital Wasteland, people had tuned in and listened to their story. In Megaton, Moriarty's saloon was packed full of people, listening intently. In places like Rivet City and Canterbury Commons, places they hadn't even been yet, they were suddenly the hottest new thing to talk about. Though they hardly knew it, they had become the closest thing to celebrities the Capital Wasteland had to offer.

Their broadcast reached Burke, Jabsco and Daniel Littlehorn, all of whom were extremely displeased at the public mention of their connection to each other.

But they weren't the only ones with malevolent eyes for the pair listening to the broadcast.

Colonel Augustus Autumn turned off the recording of the radio broadcast and placed his elbows upon the desk he sat behind. He slid his fingers together and sat in thought. Immediately, his brain began processing this latest information, specifically this new revelation about Talon Company hunting the pair.

He pressed a button on a nearby communications panel. "This is Colonel Autumn. I want a full report on Talon Company. Numbers, weapons, everything. I'm going to need constant eyebot surveillance on their base of operations immediately. Over."

He sat back. He knew that Lloyd Freeman, and his female companion, may represent the best chance the Enclave had in tracking down James Freeman.

He wasn't going to allow harm to come to them if he could prevent it. A plan was forming in his mind.

* * *

Lloyd and Amata sat eating a bowl of freshly-made noodles as Jericho rested nearby, his armor removed and his leg properly bandaged to. Nearby stood Charon who had denied any offer of food, saying that he wasn't hungry at the moment. Across from the two sat Knight Finley, a Brotherhood knight stationed at the G.N.R. building. He had removed his power armor's helmet so that he too could eat, as he had been relieved of his post for his break. They were in a small side room of the main building, where Three Dog had assured them they could spend the night.

Beneath the table, Russ licked his lips. Lloyd handed some iguana bits down to him, which he happily lapped up.

As they ate, they made occasional conversation with the knight. "Is joining the Brotherhood of Steel difficult?" Lloyd asked.

Finley nodded. "Well, originally, it was ordained that you were born into it. I was, back out west in the Core Region," he explained. "But, back in 2254, we were sent east to the Capital Wasteland. Once here, Elder Lyons decided to put down permanent roots, and here we've remained."

"Elder Lyons? Is Sarah your leader?" Amata asked.

"No, no, Sarah is his daughter. She's a sentinel, in command of her own squad, the Lyons' Pride. You met them, right?" he asked. They both nodded. "Right. Well, her father, Owyn Lyons, led us out here. He's our Elder. He decreed that we could recruit from the wastelanders, but only if they proved they could handle the rigorous training that comes with it."

"Where is the Core Region?" Lloyd asked.

"Back in California," Finley replied, before taking a spoonful of his squirrel stew. After swallowing, he added, "Not that great of the place, really. A little bit better than the Capital Wasteland, but only because it's mostly desert out there. Different from the ruins and wreckage you can't go ten feet without tripping over around here."

"You mentioned that Elder Lyons made the choice to stay here," Amata said. "What made you come to the Capital Wasteland from so far away? And you didn't intend to stay, originally?"

Finley nodded and pointed a finger at her. "Perceptive. Well, it's a long story, but the short of it is that we came to find useful technology and investigate reports of super mutants in the area. The Brotherhood has a history with them."

"There are super mutants in the Core Region?" Lloyd asked, curious.

Finley nodded. "They've been there for a long time. A fair amount of them migrated east, to the Midwest, but the ones here in the Capital Wasteland aren't like the ones back home. They're different."

"How so?" Lloyd asked.

"Well, for one, the ones back home don't grow bigger the older they get. That's how behemoths and gargantuans are made. Plus, these ones seem more unintelligent than the Core Region super mutants. I mean, don't get me wrong, the Core Region super mutants were dumber than a bag of rocks too, but these ones seem even stupider, if that were possible. That doesn't stop them from being just as dangerous though. Anyway, Elder Lyons decided to stay to help protect the people of the Capital Wasteland. He thought that it would be inhumane to leave them here without protection."

"Noble," Lloyd commented.

"Yeah, well, not everyone thought so," Finley muttered.

"What do you mean?" Amata asked.

Finley looked around, then dared to peak outside the room to ensure that none of the other knights would hear him. He leaned in closer. "Well… A group of the Brotherhood that came with us didn't agree with Lyons' choice. They wanted to focus more on acquiring technology and disregard the locals. They left, stealing a lot of tech from our home. We call them the Outcasts. They wear power armor like us, but painted black and red."

Amata and Lloyd both perked up with recognition. "We've seen them, actually," Amata said.

Just as Lloyd was about to say something himself, Russ got up and barked. In that moment, they heard a terrible noise come from the main lobby: an explosion had destroyed the front doors of G.N.R., causing the Brotherhood knights within to scramble to defensive positions. Almost immediately, Lloyd, Amata and Charon went for their weapons as Finley put his helmet back on.

A knight sergeant, the commanding rank of the outpost, ran inside, quickly loading his laser rifle. "We're under attack! Enemy is in position across the street!"

"Are the super mutants hitting us, sir?" Finley asked.

"Negative! Talon Company!" replied the knight sergeant, before moving to rejoin the other three knights in the lobby.

Lloyd and Amata's blood ran cold. Outside, across the street in the ruins of a burnt-out building, Twelve Talon Company mercenaries had taken up covered positions on the first and second stories. On the upper level, a team of two of them worked to reload a missile launcher. Once they had done so, its operator aimed out of a window and fired. It soared across the plaza, past the fountain in its center, and impacted inside the G.N.R. lobby, its explosive force kicking up smoke and dirt. All the while, the other mercs continued to fire from their position.

The Brotherhood inside quickly recovered and moved to return fire, aiming out the first floor windows of the G.N.R. building. Bullets and lasers flared from both sides as the shootout began proper. Lloyd took up position alongside a window, daring a glance through it. He could see the Talon mercs moving and firing amongst their well-fortified position. He looked back at Amata and Charon.

"Charon! Stay with Jericho!" he ordered. The ghoul nodded and went to move Jericho to a safer location. Lloyd put his hand on Amata's shoulder. "We need to return fire!" Russ stood next to Lloyd, growling, uncertain of what to do. The canine knew not to run off unless its masters said so.

She nodded and moved up to a different window, which was mostly boarded up. It had enough room for her to shoot her SMG out of, however, and she did just that. Lloyd took out his sniper rifle and aimed it through his window. Through its scope, he sighted a Talon merc on the second story. He held his breath to steady his aim and pulled the trigger. The merc fell back, a bullet having ripped through his neck. Lloyd let his breath out.

Amata ducked to reload. Just as she did, a small hail of bullets peppered her window, splintering the wood boards and shattering some of its broken glass. She covered her face as small bits of debris came down and more sunlight streamed in from the new holes in the wood. "You alright?" Lloyd asked, kneeling down from his window.

"Fine!" she frantically replied, sliding a new clip of 10mm ammo into her SMG. Lloyd looked out into the lobby and saw the Brotherhood take cover as a third missile hit the lobby from its open doors. Their power armor protected their bodies, and their sandbag barricades absorbed most of the damage. Lloyd resolved to take out that missile team.

As Amata returned fire once more, adding her own bullets to the hundreds flying across the square, Lloyd carefully waited until he saw the missile team appear once more. He knew that when they did, he would have to be fast, less they shoot before he does. He held his breath as his scope moved from window to window, searching for the one that contained the merc with the missile launcher.

Just as he scanned past a window, the man with the missile launcher aimed out of it. Lloyd quickly sighted him, aimed and fired. He let out his breath as he saw the man fall back with a hole in his chest.

Up on the second story, the Talon merc with the missile launcher died from Lloyd's bullet. The other merc tried to pick it up, but then noticed someone coming up the stairs behind their position. It was a woman in forest green combat armor wielding a minigun.

Brick let loose, waving the rotating barrel to the left and right, mowing down the Talon mercs with a brutally vicious storm of 5mm bullets. The rightmost Talon merc was about to fire on her, but he was quickly gunned down by Donovan, who had climbed the stairs as well. Lloyd, Amata and the Brotherhood knights saw this and stopped firing from their position.

Down below on the first story, Butcher, Reilly and Trigger had engaged the remaining Talon mercs. Trigger dived over a filing cabinet laid on its side, tackling a surprised merc to the ground. She put her handgun up to his head and fired three times. Reilly and Butcher, working in tandem, blasted away two other equally surprised mercs as the third ran out into the open plaza, where he was quickly and efficiently taken down by the Brotherhood.

And then, all was silent.

The Brotherhood, along with Lloyd, Amata, Charon and Russ walked out to meet Reilly's Rangers in the center of the plaza. A knight stayed behind in the building to alert the studio staff that the situation was all-clear.

Reilly smiled as the group approached. "You all alright?" she asked.

The knight sergeant nodded. "Thank you for the assist," he said.

"My pleasure," Reilly replied. She looked at the Wandering Pair. "Lloyd, Amata, Charon. Where's Jericho?"

Lloyd answered her, "He got jumped by a deathclaw. He's alright—recovering inside."

"Well, Talon Company just got its ass kicked," Brick said, a wide smile on her face. "Any idea why they attacked G.N.R.?"

"Probably to get at us," Amata replied. They looked at the knight sergeant.

The knight sergeant dismissed any blame on the pair. "There weren't any friendly casualties, so technically the only loss was the front door. We'll have a replacement barricade up and running within two hours. In the meantime, we'll radio back to the Citadel. Talon Company is going to pay for this attack." The knight sergeant looked at the rangers once more. "Thanks gain for the assist." He turned and walked back to the G.N.R. building with the other knights in tow.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Lloyd asked the Rangers.

Reilly holstered her weapon. She had a concerned look on her face. "Well, actually, I'm a little confused. We received a message from the Brotherhood asking to meet us outside the G.N.R., so we came. We were expecting some kind of welcome group, and that's where I'm lost. Those soldiers didn't have a message for us?"

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Let's go and ask." The two groups moved towards the G.N.R. lobby where Lloyd got the attention of the knight sergeant, who had been radioing to the Citadel through his helmet. "The Rangers came here expecting a meeting with the Brotherhood in the plaza. Did the Brotherhood have a message for Reilly's Rangers?" he asked.

The knight sergeant titled his head. "I don't believe so. Let me check with the Citadel." He held a hand up to the side of his helmet. "Citadel, do you copy? This is G.N.R. outpost, over." A moment later, apparently having received an answer, he continued, "Citadel, were any orders given to meet with Reilly's Rangers in the G.N.R. plaza? I repeat: were any orders given to meet with Reilly's Rangers in the G.N.R. plaza? Over." Another moment of silence, and the knight sergeant turned to them. "Word from the Citadel is negative on that," he told them, "no order was given."

The Rangers exchanged confused glances. Reilly crossed her arms as she said, "We spoke to someone on our radio frequency who explicitly stated that the Brotherhood wanted us to come to the G.N.R. plaza."

The knight sergeant asked, "When did you receive the communication? Did you get a name?"

Reilly shook her head. "About an hour ago, and no, we didn't. The person claimed to be from the Citadel."

The knight sergeant was silent. "I'll have to report this. I'm sorry, but it looks like it may have been a ruse."

"A prank?" Butcher wondered.

"What kind of person goes to such lengths to pull a prank?" Reilly replied.

"Talon Company?" Trigger offered.

Lloyd shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense; why would they call in a force that would flank them?"

"So that rules out Talon Company," Amata said. "I don't think raiders could have set this up…"

"They wouldn't have anything to gain from it," Reilly agreed. "How long was that firefight we interrupted?"

"No more than ten minutes," Lloyd replied, starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "So… whoever you talked to on your radio frequency knew that Talon Company was going to attack G.N.R. and that you were going to end up flanking them. They lured you here with their message."

"But why?" Reilly pondered.

"To destroy that group of Talon mercenaries, I imagine," Donovan said, taking off his helmet to scratch his head.

"But who benefits from that, aside from us?" Amata asked.

Nobody in the room had an answer.

* * *

Reilly and her Rangers offered to stick around and help repair the entryway to G.N.R. and reinforce it. Working with the Brotherhood knights, Lloyd, Amata and Charon, they all managed to get the work done in under an hour. The Rangers, although still confused and pondering the mystery of the events surrounding their happening upon Talon Company's ambush, parted from the G.N.R. plaza after the work was done, heading home.

The Wandering Pair and their travelling companions spent the night at G.N.R., wary of any attack that might come, though none did. The next morning, they set out and moved straight west, headed for the Potomac River. Jericho's wound had healed up quite nicely, and he only moved with a slightly noticeable limp. They all were pleasantly surprised with the hospitality of the Brotherhood and Three Dog, and wished they would stay, but Lloyd finally had his next solid lead on where his father had gone to. The only one among them who was upset was Jericho, who had missed the fight with Talon Company.

Taking the underground tunnel system, as they often did, they backtracked to the same location Jericho had led them to originally when they had first ventured into the D.C. ruins, Farragut West Metro Station. It was there that they had originally met Uncle Leo. Lloyd wondered briefly, as they stepped out into the afternoon sun, if they would ever see that most peculiar super mutant again. He certainly hoped so, as did Amata.

Stepping out of the station, they had made it to the river. It ran with dark water, which they knew was irradiated. Their Pip-Boys allowed them to monitor their body condition, including radiation levels. Thus far, Lloyd and Amata had managed to keep their rad levels very low. They didn't know about Jericho, and Charon, as a ghoul, was immune to rads due to his overexposure to them in his past life, which, as with all other ghouls, had been the catalyst of his ghoulification.

They began to follow the river south, rather, southeast, as Three Dog had instructed. They were walking on the very outer limits of the city. A wall of concrete ran mostly on their side of the river, putting them about several feet higher than the water's elevation. "Something on your mind, Lloyd?" Amata asked.

He snapped back to reality. "Oh... I was just thinking about how lucky we are to have these things," he said, holding up his left arm. His Pip-Boy displayed the GPS program, keeping constant track of their surroundings and various areas they stumble upon.

"I'll say," she agreed. She looked at her own Pip-Boy. "Though, I have to admit, it gets a little itchy under there sometimes."

Jericho spoke up. "What, can't you take the fuckin' thing off?"

"Obviously we can take them off," she quickly retorted. "It would get filthy under there if we never washed the skin."

The old raider chuckled. "Fuckin' vault royalty, I tell ya. Little dirt never hurt anyone."

"Yeah, but a lot can kill you," Lloyd said.

"Whatever, kid. A lotta anything'll kill you. Too much food, too much alcohol, too much sun, too much water..." he trailed off.

"Too much noise," Charon suddenly spoke up. It got very quiet among them after that comment. Lloyd thought it was funny, so for the next block or so, he wore a smile.

There were few moments to chat like that one. Being that this was new territory, there was plenty of fresh danger afoot. Similar to the metro tunnels, at least the ones they had been trekking through for the past few days, the riverside presented one obstacle after another. But they were more than well equipped to deal with each situation. With Lloyd's hunting and sniper rifles, Jericho's assault rifle and Charon's shotgun, along with Russ' canine fury and Amata's supporting fire, nothing could stand in their way.

Both of the vault dwellers, over the course of that day, learned something intriguing. They didn't come to the realization at the same time, nor did they realize it as quickly as the other, but they did come to the same conclusion. They had lived life in the wasteland for a week now, and were accustomed to the constant battle. Food, shelter, medicine, life or death, combat. Eventually, all of these things seemed to blur together. For people like Jericho and Charon, they grew up with it. They knew no life aside from it. For people like Lloyd and Amata, they had to get used to it. Their entire style of living had to change to adapt to wasteland life. The realization was that they, in fact, had done just that. Fighting against foes that seek only your death, for whatever reason, was anything but fun, but there was a strange detachment that brought a sense of calmness and seemed to subvert fear.

Neither of them knew what it was; only what it felt like. When one battle was over, there'd be no real reason to celebrate, because the next one would be just around the corner. Fighting was just the way it was. And for them, it became natural and easy to shift in and out of combat mode. The lone centaur hiding in the back of a truck, the group of mirelurks protecting their egg clutch from perceived threats, two radscorpions and even a group of radroaches, as seemingly harmless as they were, were all handled with efficient teamwork and timing.

They passed a place they did not enter, a small building, mostly intact, with a sign out front warning people to keep their weapons holstered. They had no real reason to stop and see what was inside, so they kept going, continuing south.

A raider camp had been set up along this path, and even they were dealt with in the same collected manner in which they had fought off every other threat of the day. There were six of them. So unorganized were they that they did not have anyone on watch, allowing the group to get the drop on them. Throwing a grenade into the camp, the raiders scattered and were quickly gunned down.

The camp, after they had taken care of the raiders, was very useful in its own right. It had enough beds for all of them, small stockpiles of food and ammunition, and for Jericho, liquor and cigarettes.

There was even a sofa the raiders had looted, placed near a campfire. Lloyd, no longer wearing his goggles, sat back on the sofa and took a deep breath. "It's nice to take a break," he said. Amata looked over at him and began to giggle quietly. He looked up at her. "What?"

"I never noticed until now, but there's a tan-line where you've been wearing your goggles," she told him.

"Really?" he asked. Indeed there was. His skin was slightly darker than it had been during his years in the vault due to his exposure to sunlight. "How lucky for you, you've had that nice hat that shields your face from the sun."

"It got a little sweaty. The new helmet is nicer," she said, taking off her combat helmet and shaking her head free.

"I'm glad." Lloyd petted Russ on the head. Charon walked up.

"When will we move again?" he asked.

"Couple minutes," Lloyd said. Charon nodded and moved off to patrol and camp's wooden wall parameter.

Amata took the opportunity to snuggle up next to Lloyd, though their armor made it a little cumbersome to do so. He put his arm around her. "Lloyd?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Something on your mind?" he replied.

"I was just thinking... you think we'll ever need to, you know, not fight for our lives when we're just trying to get from point A to point B?"

Lloyd rested his head back and thought for a moment. "Maybe. I hope so. I know I'd like it, but..."

"But what?"

"I just don't think it's going to happen," he said as he gazed into her eyes. "I know what you're thinking, Amata, I really do... I wish things could be like they were back in the vault too."

"No," she said, surprising him. "The more I think about it, the more I know I don't want things to be like the vault. Everything in there was a... a fabrication. A disguise to mask the real things that were happening underneath the propaganda my father spewed night and day. What my father was really doing." She closed her eyes. "I want us to find a place where it's safe, and we can be happy... but it has to be real."

They were silent for a moment. "We'll make one," Lloyd said, reaching over to brush a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I know we didn't come out here to help other people, but... I want to. I've seen the good of people out here, and the hardships they face. Not like us. To us, everything out here is new. It's like Three Dog said. We came from a vault, where growing up was easy. Most wastelanders didn't have the same kind of chance we did. I can't imagine what growing up with this kind of life must be like."

She nodded. "Fighting every day..."

"The ones you love might not come back from a supply mission…"

"Monsters and mutations... Deathclaws..." She shuddered at the mention of the vile creatures.

"People don't deserve to die just for wanting to survive."

"Even raiders?" she asked.

"Killing someone, especially a group of people, is hard to justify. But raiders, and people like them... Talon Company, Burke... they made their choices. To them, it's either them or us. I'd rather have it be us when it comes to them. Raiders can't work with other people who aren't raiders themselves. I don't want a world like that. I want a world where everyone helps everyone. Where we work together to make our lives better."

"A nice dream," Amata said.

"If we don't die, I'll make it a reality."

Amata smiled. She took comfort in his words. They were noble, confident and brave: three qualities she knew characterized Lloyd. She was sure he'd help others, like when he gave purified water to a severely dehydrated man just outside of Megaton, purely out of the kindness of his own heart. He was going to help other people, no matter what, and she was going to be there to help him.

"I love you, Lloyd," she said, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.

He smiled. "I love you too."

Not far away, Jericho shook his head. He didn't know if it was the booze or the two of them, but he felt like throwing up.

* * *

"What is it, Jericho?" Lloyd asked the former raider.

"A super mutant camp. You can tell. They all look the same: the big, sharpened steel beams, those big-ass spikes? They form the fence. There's usually a fire with dead bodies and bags of guts hanging around. I'm telling you kid, that place is going to be crawling with super mutants," Jericho said.

"Right around the corner of that base is Rivet City," Charon told them. "I passed by it only once before, but I remember this part of the landscape. That building, over there," he pointed across the water at a domed building. "I recognize it."

"Yeah... so do I..." Lloyd said, now looking over at the building. "I think I saw it in a history textbook once." He strained as he tried to recognize the building alongside the river basin.

"That doesn't matter now, kid, let's just blast our way through that super mutant camp and get to Rivet City already," Jericho said.

"We must proceed with caution," Charon advised.

"Of course," Lloyd said, taking out his sniper rifle. "Let me just try and pick some off before we move in. This is becoming a serious chore," he said as he looked through the scope.

"What, you didn't have fuckin' chores in your pristine vault?" Jericho asked rather snootily.

"Yeah, until we took jobs," Lloyd replied.

Jericho laughed. "Fuckin' jobs? What'd you have to do?"

Lloyd looked up at him. "What didn't I do," was his reply.

"Give good answers?" Jericho quickly shot back. Lloyd sighed.

"I did a lot of stuff, but mostly I was my father's assistant." Jericho was silent. "My father is a doctor and a scientist." Still silence. "I'm going to shoot the super mutants now, Jericho. If you have anything further, please bring it up now." More silence as Jericho shook his head. "Good." Lloyd looked throughout the camp, seeing a few super mutants. "Alright... There's at least five of them... wait..." He sat up quickly. "They've got a woman."

"A woman?" Amata asked.

"Stupid wastelander that probably fell into their trap," Jericho commented.

"We need to help her," Lloyd said. "I'm going to start shooting. Get ready for the fight."

They all began to take cover. Lloyd breathed steadily, and fired. He hit one in the back. He could hear it roaring in pain from his distance. When it turned around, Lloyd got a good shot in its head, which killed it. They could all hear them, now, the super mutants around the camp calling their brethren to take up arms. Lloyd picked off another before several of them streamed out of the camp and towards his location. He put away his sniper rifle and equipped his hunting rifle instead.

Russ ran forward. Jericho fired, as did Lloyd, Charon and Amata. The super mutants had assumed Lloyd was their only threat, and were completely surprised when the five of them ambushed them from three directions. Uncoordinated and unintelligent, the super mutants fell one by one. The largest of them, one armed with a minigun, tried to open fire on them, but was distracted by Russ. He tried to shoot at the dog, but he ran far too fast. He was taken down by the rest of them rather quickly as Russ circled around.

"Nice one, kid," Jericho said with a smile as he reloaded his gun. "Led'em right up to us."

Lloyd ignored his comment and headed straight for the camp. He walked through the tangled mess of sharpened support beams and barbed wire up to a higher level, where a dark-skinned woman sat, tied up and blindfolded. She was wearing a dirty shirt and similar jeans.

"You're going to be alright," Lloyd told her. At the sound of a human's voice, her ears perked up and she began to get excited. Lloyd quickly removed her bonds. She stood up and looked at him.

"Am... am I safe?" she asked, eyes wide and scared.

"Yes. The super mutants are dead. You can get out of here, if you like. Personally, I wouldn't stay," Lloyd said, looking around at the wreckage.

She quickly surveyed her surroundings and then bent over to pick up a pack. "I need to get out of here. Please, take these supplies. They're all I have, but they'll slow me down."

Lloyd held up his hands. "No, no, you need those more than I do. Please, take them."

She thought for a moment. "You'd know best, I suppose. I'll go. Again... thank you." She took off running, right past the others.

"So now what?" Amata asked, looking up at him through the steel beams.

Lloyd looked out to the river and saw a mighty sight which left in him awe. "Rivet City," he said nearly breathlessly.

They all turned to look. A massive, pre-war aircraft carrier, split in half in one area, was beached next on edge of the river. The ship alone was impressive to behold; it was undoubtedly an amazing feat of engineering and power in its day. But, like the rest of the wasteland, it was nowhere near its old days of glory. Lloyd would have loved to see the vessel at work, but just from looking at it, he knew it was mostly scrap metal. Much of it was dented or full of holes, with what appeared to be a lot of patchwork.

"That thing's a city?" Amata marveled at the sight.

"Evidently," Lloyd said, walking down. "Let's waste no time. Come on!"

Lloyd couldn't deny his excitement. He had never seen a place quite like it, and there was the chance that his father was inside.

"How do we get inside?" Amata asked as they passed some statues.

"There's a staircase. You walk up and press a button and then a bridge comes over to the stairs. That's what I heard," Jericho told her.

"I see the stairs," Lloyd said, then practically ran. The others moved just as quickly to keep up with him, save for Jericho.

"Hey, kid! Don't fuckin' run off on me now," he grunted as he borderline dragged his foot behind him to keep up.

The stairs were more like ramps that led up to two platforms, one on top of the other. At the top of the bottom ramp there was a large sign advertising that they had, in fact, made it to Rivet City. Lloyd moved up the ramps and found himself atop a platform. He looked around and saw a dirty wastelander sitting with his back to the railing. "Where's the button?" Lloyd asked, skipping formalities.

The man coughed and spoke. "Please... I'm dieing... I need water... Do you have any? I'm so thirsty..."

Lloyd knew just what to do. He pulled a bottle of purified water out and handed it to him. It occurred to him, in that moment, he was being a little hasty due to his excitement. He tried to calm himself down and spoke to the man, who was eagerly downing the bottle. "There you go. My name is Lloyd."

"Thank you, thank you, Lloyd!" he said, taking another gulp. He pointed then, to a speaker on the wall. Lloyd nodded and walked up to it. At that moment, the others came up. Lloyd pressed a green button on the intercom.

"Welcome to Rivet City. Who is this?" a voice asked.

Lloyd leaned over. "My name is Lloyd Freeman."

About five seconds later, the voice replied with, "The kid from the radio?"

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow and looked back at the others. "Um... Yes? I guess so?"

"This I need to see. Hang on; we're bringing the bridge over."

Something moving on the ship caught their eyes. A large bridge was turning in their direction. Before, it had been turned parallel to the ship, but now it was swinging in the direction of the platform upon which they stood. Lloyd saw that the end of the bridge had tight metal ropes which connected it to a large counter-weight system which would keep the bridge stable.

They could hear it rumble and creek before falling silent as the edge of the bridge stopped right at their platform. The bridge was now fully extended, and they could walk right up to Rivet City. Lloyd could see about three people at the other end.

"Well, let's go," Lloyd said as they crossed. Contrary to his initial concerns, the bridge was very stable and not rickety at all. The figured at the end wore black combat armor, somewhat like Talon Company, but they didn't have the white logo the mercs had. Two of them, the ones on either side of the tall man, wore security helmets that reminded him of the helmets Vault 101's security forces wore.

The man in the center approached. He was a tall man, as tall as Lloyd, with neatly combed brown hair and only slightly-tanned skin. "Hold it," he said as they approached. "You're Lloyd Freeman?"

Lloyd nodded. "And these are my friends." He looked down at their guns. "We don't want any trouble."

"State your business here," the man ordered.

"We're looking for a Doctor Li," Lloyd told him.

The man nodded. "Yeah? Well, let me guess," he said, suddenly adopted a slightly condescending tone. "She's not expecting you, but since you were on the radio with that sap story, you think you can just walk right in and talk to her because you think it's important."

Lloyd held up his hands. "Woah, no, no, no, I just need to see her. My father might be on this ship." He didn't know this man, but he was unnerved by the prospect that he had heard their broadcast and formed his own opinion of Lloyd before they had even met.

"Been a lot of that goin' around lately, and I've had just about enough of it. Dr. Li is a very busy woman, working on real problems in this city. You're going to have to do better than that."

"Hey, it's really no big deal. I just need to see her for a minute and then I'll be out of her hair. Swear it," Lloyd said. Something rang in the back of Lloyd's mind that this man's voice sounded familiar, but he dismissed the notion.

The man seemed to think for a moment.

Amata stepped forward. "Look, I don't know if you heard us on the radio or not, but if you did, you have to know that we're good people with good intentions. We don't want to get in anyone's way. We'll leave as soon as we learn where Lloyd's father is."

"Fine," the man said. "Just don't bother her for too long. She's real busy, what with all of her work on creating clean food. She's up in the science lab. You can go through the market or take the stairwell. Don't make trouble in my city."

"Yes, we'll be sure not to, mister...?" Lloyd trailed off.

"Harkness," the man answered, then turned and walked through a metal door with a valve on it.

"Charming," Amata said. "Well, only a minor setback. Shall we?"

They entered the marketplace, a bustling area with various stores constructed out of raw materials. Lloyd walked down a short flight of stairs and moved further into the market, past a barrel with burning fire inside it.

"Hey, hey!" a man called to his left. Lloyd turned and saw a middle-aged man with a thick mustache, shaved head and a sleeveless leather jacket. "You're the Wandering Pair, right?" he asked.

Lloyd and Amata exchanged glances. "Uh... yeah, that's us," Lloyd said. He began to think, for the first time, of the scope of their interview with Three Dog. He hadn't realized that so many people might have heard it.

"I knew it! I heard it from one of the guards," he said, moving around his counter, which Lloyd just realized had guns on it, to greet them. "Name's Flak. I help run Flak and Shrapnel's gun shop. Pretty catchy, huh?"

"Yeah," Lloyd said as he shook the man's open hand, "real catchy."

"Listen, I've never had a celebrity shop at our store before, but please, I want you to take this," he said, walking over and picking up a mini nuke. Their eyes widened.

"Um... is there a particular reason why you're handing me a bomb?" Lloyd asked.

"Hell yeah there is! I want you two to take it, and then, when you use it to blow up another super mutant behemoth, I want you to tell everyone that the mini nuke came from Flak and Shrapnel's in Rivet City," he smiled. He held out the bomb.

Nervously, Lloyd took the mini nuke. "Uh... sure, no problem. Anything to help advertise, right?"

"Ha-hah, I knew you'd be on board!" Flak said. "But please, if there's anything else I can do for you, let me know. Guns, repairs, anything. For a price. I'll give you a discount, a small one. I still have to make end's meat, after all."

"Yeah, sure," Lloyd said, looking around. He suddenly noticed that various eyes in the large room were looking at all of them. People were talking. Amata, Charon and Jericho had noticed as well. From corners, railings and walkways, there was hushed gossip as people stared.

A little boy with dark hair ran up. "Hey, I hear you're the guys from the radio. The Wandering Pair."

"That's right," Lloyd said.

"You guys sound retarded. I think you're retarded." The boy ran off.

"What the?" Lloyd said. Amata stepped forward, seemingly about to chase after the boy, but then she stopped.

"That little brat! Somebody ought to teach that kid some manors!" she said.

"Oh, don't mind that little shit. He's always like that." Flak shrugged. "So, what can I do for you all anyway?"

Lloyd snapped back. "Oh, right. Listen, Charon," he said, turning to the tall ghoul. "Take Amata's pack. The caps are in there. Have the guns repaired, replaced if need be. Don't buy ammo; we're all good on that," he said as he tucked the mini nuke under his arm.

"Very well," Charon answered. Amata took off her pack and she and Lloyd set their weapons on Flak's table. Charon moved close, to ensure the safety of the firearms.

"Oh, and, uh, watch this," Lloyd said, placing the mini nuke at Charon's feet. Lloyd turned to regard Flak and asked, "Can you point out the science lab?" The man, much more polite than Harkness, gave them in-depth instructions on how to get to the lab and what level of the ship it was on. They inquired of Jericho if he wanted to come along, but he denied it.

They walked away, with Russ following. A man called out to them, "If you ever need clothing, come to Potomac Attire!" A woman advertised, "If drugs and medication is what you need, come to A Quick Fix!"

As they neared the end of the room, a young woman with blonde hair in a brown, raggedy dress ran up to them. "Excuse me," she said. "I was just wondering, if, um, I mean, I was thinking, since you two are uh, and I... oh god, never mind!" she said, running off.

"What is up with these people," Lloyd muttered. Amata tapped his arm.

"Let's just get going, Lloyd."

Back at the stand, Flak was already in the process of laying out their guns so that he could clean and repair them. He looked at Charon. "So, you were brainwashed, eh?" Flak asked.

"I'm not the one for conversation," Charon coldly replied.

"Okay, okay," Flak said as he went back to taking Lloyd's sniper rifle apart.

Lloyd and Amata began wandering about the hallways of the city, passing doors where people lived. Occasionally, they would bump into a stranger who knew them. Thanks to Flak's instructions, they eventually found their way into the science lab. There were large tanks of liquid, computers and various research assistants walking about tables full of experiments. Passing some of them by, Lloyd guessed that they were trying to purify vegetables. They quietly asked one where Dr. Li was, and although the researcher was annoyed, she pointed to a woman whose back was turned to them. Lloyd walked up, cleared his throat and spoke. "Excuse me," he said.

The woman audibly sighed in frustration. "Look, this is a restricted area. I'm tired of telling you people..." her voice trailed off as she turned to look up at Lloyd. Her eyes blazed with a spark of recognition. "I... It's you. My heavens, you look so much like him..."

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow. "Care to clarify?"

"You're James' son, aren't you?" she asked. He nodded. "Amazing... the resemblance really is uncanny..."

They both stayed silent as Dr. Li continued, "I thought you'd be coming. I heard about your story on the radio, but I didn't hear it myself. Just that some kid from the vault had left in search of his father. I thought it was just a coincidence, but I knew it couldn't be."

"So you know my father? Where is he?" Lloyd asked.

"Well yes, of course I do. Don't you know who I am?" she asked, her voice becoming a little less soft.

"No, I'd never even heard of you until Three Dog told me where to find my father."

"So James never told you. Typical. I can hardly believe I gave him more credit." She shook her head and then straightened up. "I'm Doctor Madison Li. I worked with your father many years ago. Your mother as well, in fact. I met them both when they were young, and we travelled here to the Capital Wasteland together."

Lloyd stepped closer, a million questions on his mind. "What? You knew my parents? So it's true, then? I wasn't born in the vault? You knew my mother?"

"Please, please, calm down," she said putting a hand on her head. "You'll have to forgive me. This has all been very stressful, what with your father showing up here after being gone so long."

"Take your time," Lloyd said. "But please, tell me, is my father here?"

"No. You have to understand, that I... we put all that behind us. Project Purity, our work, all of it. We've moved on, even if your father hasn't."

'Project Purity... there's that name again...' he thought. "I'm trying to find my father. Do you know where he is?"

Madison asked a question of her own, however. "Why did you leave the vault? James said he had left you there when he came here," she asked. She looked back at Amata. "Who is this?"

"This isn't about me, or Lloyd," Amata replied. "He left the vault to look for James, and I came with him."

"Did you, now?" Li asked. She spoke to Lloyd, "I was under the impression that that's the opposite of what he wanted for you."

Lloyd took a steadying breath. "Tell me where he is, please."

"Well, you won't find him here. He's come and gone already."

"Where did he go?" Amata asked.

Dr. Li looked away, shaking her head. "Your father insisted that we return to work on Project Purity. I tried telling him too much time has passed; there's no way it would work. Predictably," she said, crossing her arms, "he refused to listen to me, or to reason. He says he can prove that it will work, and headed off to the old lab. I'm sorry; I don't know what else to tell you."

"What's the old lab?" Lloyd asked.

"It's in the old Jefferson Memorial building, northwest of here."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "The domed building?" He recalled having seen it earlier, right before their attack on the super mutant encampment.

"Please, don't go after him. It was foolish of him to even think about going up there alone."

"I'm going," Lloyd told her. "My father went there, and that's where I'm going to go."

"I can't stop you," Li said. "I just hope you're lucky enough to find your father captured by the super mutants in that area, not killed."

Lloyd glared at her, but ignored the comment. "Now I've heard this before, but what is Project Purity?" he asked.

"Other than the name, what do you want to know?"

"What was the point of it? What was it going to do? Or what was it for?" he asked, rephrasing his question twice.

"It was a simple idea, really: fresh, clean water for everyone; such a simple idea and yet so impossible and frustrating to make real. The plan was to build a facility that could purify all the water in the tidal basin at once. No radiation, no muck, just clear water. It just turned out to be much more difficult than we anticipated."

"Why didn't it work?" Amata asked.

"We had the basic principles down and we understood most of the science behind it. But the radiation in the area is so pervasive... Small-scale tests were fine. But any time we tried the test process on a larger scale, it was just... too much. Maybe if we had had more time... or better equipment... who knows what we might have been able to accomplish."

Lloyd asked, "Why did you stop working on it? What happened?"

"You happened," she said.

Lloyd looked at her, blinking a few times. "Pardon?"

"It wasn't just you, we had more problems than we could handle already, but your birth is what pushed it over the edge. Your father decided that you were more important than everything we'd been working for, and he left. He left all of us."

Lloyd looked down. 'My father... did that?' he thought.

Li continued. "But even before he was gone, the Brotherhood decided we weren't worth their time anymore. Without their protection, or your father's leadership, we had to abandon the purifier."

Amata put her hand on his shoulder. Lloyd looked up at Li. "You knew my mother, right?"

"I did. I worked with her for several years until... until your mother died, and your father decided it was time to leave. What else do you want to know?"

"I never knew my mother. What can you tell me about her?"

Li seemed to pause in reflection. "Yes... Your mother was, well, she was a good woman. A very dedicated scientist. Your father loved her very much. It was a shame that she had died. She had been… excited to meet you," she told him.

"How did she die? I want to know if my father had told me the truth about that."

"Complications from childbirth." She took a moment to see how he reacted. He grimly nodded, indicated that James hadn't lied about it. "None of us were ready for it; we weren't as prepared as we could've been. You have to understand, we were struggling with scavenged, derelict equipment. We did everything we could."

His expression hardened a little. "You weren't prepared?" he asked quietly. "My mother is dead!" he almost shouted, garnering glances from about the room. Russ growled softly. Amata gently squeezed his arm.

"As I said," Li replied, keeping her calm, "I am sorry. I'm afraid I can't go back and change the past."

"I know that," Lloyd almost spat. He took a moment to calm down.

"You're emotional, much like your father. He's more mature, of course. He's learned to control his emotions in the time he's been in the vault."

Lloyd bit his lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. "So I'm like my father was before he left with me in hand?" he asked.

"He was very driven. Determined to change the world. Well, we all were back then, I suppose. He was focused on two things, really. Making Project Purity work and your mother. When she died, I think... I think he gave up, in a way. I know he wanted to keep you safe, but I think part of what he did was run away from the wasteland to escape it."

'My father, running away... Sadly, it does have familiar ring to it,' he thought.

"But it seems he was never able to get over the idea. I'm frankly shocked that he waited all this time, and wants to try again."

Lloyd nodded once more. "Alright. That's it then, Dr. Li. But please, if there's anything you can do to help us out..."

"Look, I don't want to be harsh, but I have problems of my own. I don't have the resources to support James' endeavors or of your chasing after him. I'm sorry."

Lloyd's eyes narrowed and his voice grew determined. "There must be something," he said. "Please."

She sighed. "I suppose I can spare a few stimpaks. It's not much, but it's something. Should make things easier for you when you get shot at." She reached into her pocket and pulled out five small syringes. Amata took them from her hand.

"Very well then, Doctor Li. Thank you for your time," Lloyd told her.

"Good luck finding your father," she earnestly told him.

They left the lab a moment later. Lloyd didn't look back.

Amata tried to stop him in the hall, but he kept on walking. "Lloyd, I want to talk," she told him. "Lloyd!" She grabbed his hand. He turned to face her. "Lloyd, we should talk about what happened in that room."

"My father could be in danger. She said that there're super mutants in that area. Every second we spent not getting closer to my father is a second he could die."

"But, Lloyd..."

He grabbed her shoulder. "Amata, please... I'm so close. I know it. He's there, at the Jefferson Memorial. There's nowhere else for him to go. We have to leave right now or else everything we've done up until now will have been pointless."

"You don't know that," she protested. "He could be fine."

"Or he could be dead, and I would never forgive myself for being too slow to catch up to him." He turned and walked back towards the market. After a moment of standing still, Amata moved to catch up with him.

* * *

"What the fuck, kid? We didn't even get to go to the bar," Jericho said as they crossed the bridge out of Rivet City.

"Jericho, this is seriously not the time for your bullshit," Lloyd said. "I need you to be on your toes. Super mutants are where we are headed."

"Where are we going, Lloyd Freeman?" Charon asked. Lloyd whipped around.

"It's Lloyd! Alright? My name is Lloyd! Two L's, an O, a Y and a D! Just Lloyd! Christ!" Lloyd threw his hands up and continued walking. Charon was silent.

"Lloyd!" Amata called out after him. "You need to calm down."

Lloyd turned back and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Forgive me, Charon, I'm not in the best of moods. Now please, follow me to yonder Jefferson Memorial," Lloyd said, pointing to the domed building across the river water.

"He'll get better when he finds his father," Amata said to them. To herself, she thought, 'I hope.'

Heading back once more onto solid earth, they found a path along the river's edge which led to the Jefferson Memorial building. Just outside it, they began to encounter super mutants. A large, yellow industrial walkway led them around the building. The super mutants were few and far between outside.

The only entrance to the memorial they found was through the gift shop. The interior was trashed, and had many more super mutants. While they did use their usual amount of teamwork, Lloyd pushed on ahead, driven to find his father. He wasn't going to let these super mutants kill him.

The first floor consisted of various rooms with decaying and rusted equipment piled about. A turret system was broken and firing on anything that moved. They cleared it with the use of a grenade. As they began to eliminate all of the super mutants and centaurs, one by one and room by room, Lloyd borderline kicked down a door that led to the purification chamber. His mouth fell open when he saw the purifier. It was a massive machine that housed a large amount of filthy green water taken straight from the river. Tubes and pipes ran everywhere. Lloyd marveled at the machine some more after he killed the two super mutants in the room.

The tank itself had an upper interior area that could be accessed by some stairs. It was a circular chamber with computers and monitoring equipment. Some worked, some didn't. Lloyd ran his fingers across the surface of one computer, looking at the dust. "My father spent years of his life here, working on this... Both of my parents did..."

Amata walked up to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Lloyd?"

He closed his eyes. "I get it," he whispered. "Suddenly I get it all."

"What? What do you get?" she asked.

He opened his eyes and spoke softly. _"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." _She looked at him curiously. "Revelation 21:6," he told her. "It was my mother's favorite bible passage. I shall give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely. They wanted to make clean water... they wanted to help the lives of every single person in the wasteland."

"That's… a good dream," Amata said, unsure of how to reply.

"We've had a lot of good dreams lately," Lloyd said. "I tire of dreaming. I want to make this into a reality."

"What do you mean?"

"Amata, look at this," he said, holding up his hands and turning in place. "Look at all of this... it's so much bigger than what it seems. This purifier represents something amazing. It represents a dream that was dropped, but can be picked up again." He walked over to her. "My father is here somewhere. I'm going to help him get this thing working, no matter what."

She merely nodded. "Okay," she replied. "You know that I'll help you, Lloyd."

"There's just too much to think about, Amata. I need to find dad. I need to talk to him about this. This... this changes everything. I understand now. There are questions that remain unanswered, sure, but now I know why he left me without telling me. But, I still have to find him. Come on, I saw a basement level that we passed earlier."

Lloyd's mounting excitement, once more, began to fade. The basement levels contained only more super mutants. They passed by various rooms, but none of them had James. "Damnit!" Lloyd shouted, banging his fist against a wall. He entered a room lit dimly by a lamp. There was a comfortable bed, which he sat on. "Split up," he ordered them all. "Find my father! Just... just find him!" he shouted. Charon and Jericho moved back to head upstairs and search it more thoroughly. Lloyd looked up at Amata. "Go," he said. "I'll be just a minute. Then... then we'll talk, okay?" he said, calming down. She was quiet. "I'm sorry, I am... but damnit, we're so close..."

"I'll go look upstairs," she offered. Russ followed her, leaving Lloyd alone to sit on the bed. He looked over, and saw a couple of audio disks. He picked them up. They were labeled "Project Purity Personal Journal" with numbers one, two and three. A forth disk was unlabeled. Not quite sure why, though he told himself it was to see if anything at all was on it, he slid the unlabeled journal into his Pip-Boy and hit the play button. He heard his father's voice. He remembered, in that moment, the day of his escape from Vault 101, when he found a recording of his father behind a framed quote of Revelation 21:6, which, in his anger, he had smashed.

_"Well, here we are again. Project Purity and me. It's been close to twenty years since my last entry. Since I left all of this behind to make a life for my son. We've spent that time in Vault 101, tucked away from the rest of the world. It wasn't perfect, but it was safe, and that's all I could have hoped for. Now, my son is a grown man. Handsome, intelligent, confident. Just like his old man. Humph. And as hard as it was to admit it, he doesn't need his daddy anymore."_

Lloyd wasn't sure what to think. Did he not need his father? The entire reason he left in the first place was to find him. But did he truly need his father to survive? Lloyd and Amata had been doing well in the wasteland, certainly better than James could ever have imagined they would.

He ejected the disk and put in the first personal journal.

_"So here I am, back where it all began. Project Purity. God, we wanted to change the world. We really thought the waters of life could be a reality. And that's why this is a momentous occasion. Because even after nineteen years, I still believe it. Project Purity can and will be operational. This is just the beginning. "_

Not wanting to stop, Lloyd put in the next one.

_"This is day 2 of my attempt to resurrect this project. I've got one of the portable fusion generators up and running, but it's just enough to power the emergency lighting and a couple of other systems. It will serve for now, but I need help powering up the mainframe. Time to visit Madison in Rivet City."_

Lloyd frowned. He wished these had been longer, like the unlabeled one. So far, he hadn't learned much of what he had hoped to learn. He slid in the third.

_"I spoke with Doctor Li, Madison, at Rivet City. It went about as well as I expected. That is to say she thinks I'm completely mad. How can I blame her? She's got her own life, her own team, and is making real tangible scientific progress. Here I come again, the very paragon of failure and false promises. But the reality is I need Madison and whatever scientific team she may have assembled. I can't do this myself. Project Purity is bigger than me, it always was. And without Catherine... God, I can't let this die. Not again, not like this."_

Though it was only a recording, Lloyd could feel his father's words resonating deep within him. He knew his father was right, about everything. Project Purity could change the face of the Capital Wasteland forever. Lloyd's mind was still reeling at the prospect of how important it would be. It would save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. Perhaps vegetation, green and alive, would finally begin to spread. The radiation, at least in that area, would be exterminated. Twice, now, Lloyd had donated a clean bottle of water to someone who didn't even have the luxury of a clean river. The ramifications that this purifier represented alone were too many to count and too powerful to comprehend.

He was about to sit up and leave the room when he looked over and saw another tape, one he had missed. It was near an open bottle of scotch, half-empty. He picked it up and read its label out loud. "Better Days." He wasn't quite certain what that title implied. The only way to find out would be to play it.

He slid the tape in. His utter surprise came about when the voice he heard was not of his father's, but a woman's.

_"That batch of tests was inconclusive, but Madison and I are convinced it's a problem with the second filtration system. We're going to recalibrate the equipment and try again tomorrow so that... James, please, I'm trying to work. Now's not the time! ...So that's the next step. Assuming we get the results we need, we'll move on to... James_!" the woman giggled. _"Stop, I need to finish these notes!" _More giggling. _"...We'll move on to diagnosing the issues with the radiation dampeners, that should... Ow! James!"_ she laughed. _"Now? We really shouldn't!"_ There was more giggling, a playful kind, before the tape cut out.

Lloyd sat there, completely still. At that exact moment, as if the gods themselves had deigned it, Amata walked in.

"Lloyd?" she asked. She wondered why he hadn't moved. "I found some tapes upstairs. I think they'll tell us where James is. I listened to one of them and he mentioned another vault, Vault 112. I think that's where he's headed."

Lloyd played the tape again for her ears. As she listened, small tears found their way down Lloyd's cheeks. When the tape was over, Amata walked over to him and crushed him in a tight hug. He cried, not particularly hard but it was easily noticeable. Amata didn't care; she knew that he had to cry to let it all out. Dr. Li was right, he was emotional. While he wasn't controlled by his emotions, he didn't have complete control of them either. He had a problem with bottling them up, and sometimes all it took was the right trigger to make that bottle burst. He needed her right now, and she was more than happy to help him.

She held him, and she felt like crying too, though she wasn't sure why. It must've just been the moment, because she continued to comfort him and kiss him and talk to him, telling him that it would be alright, that they would find his father, and that together, they would make the world a better place. Everything they had talked about, and dreamed about, would happen, and they'd be together. He kissed her back in earnest, and soon, the tears stopped.

In the hallway, Charon held Jericho and Russ back. As Jericho was about to protest, Charon told him. "It would be extremely prudent, I think, to patrol the entrance of this building and ensure that they are not interrupted." Jericho looked at the tall ghoul and shook his head. Charon coaxed Russ into following them.

He knew that, at that moment, they deserved their time alone more than anyone else in the Capital Wasteland.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	11. No Runner like a Blade Runner

He started with the legs. After sliding on the green, solid, comfortable material that made up the pant legs, he gripped the black boots and slid them on. They lacked laces, instead having buckles that snapped into place. After both combat boots were on, he tightened and secured the belt around his waist. He reached for the pieces of armor that protected his knees and shins, snapping them into place one after another. Two more pieces that guarded his upper legs were then similarly snapped in and buckled tightly. He stretched his legs for a moment, getting used to the feeling of the armor around them and ensuring that he still had freedom of movement.

He reached for his white shirt, which had been tossed carelessly atop a chair, and slid it on, tucking it underneath the waistband of his pants. He then put on the green shirt that he wore over the simple white tee, similarly tucking it in. Sliding a second belt around his waist, one with various pouches, he searched for a moment for his armored torso piece.

"Where's my chest piece?" he asked his female companion.

"Under the bed," she answered, preoccupied with readying herself with the same getup he was currently invested in dressing himself in.

He got on all fours and, sure enough, the forest green armor was underneath the bed that they had, less than an hour ago, managed to crawl out of. He grabbed it, pulled it out and slid it on, putting his arms and head through the appropriate openings. He snapped a few buckles into place, tightening it and making it as snug as possible. A symbol; two white swords crossing over a four-leaf clover with the words, "Reilly's Rangers" underneath, decorated the breastplate. He rotated his arms and neck to expedite his body's adjustment to the armor, finding it to be comfortably snug. But he wasn't finished yet.

A harness, originally devised for armoring a vault jumpsuit, was all that remained. The harness consisted of a strap of leather that ran across his chest and back, which connected to a third belt with further pouches, upon which hung a pistol holster on his right hand side. Once that harness was in place, he double-checked that everything was in perfect order. He then donned a pair of goggles, adjusting them around his eyes and then running his fingers through his hair to loosen any trapped strands from beneath the elastic strap. The final piece of armor was a combat helmet, the color of which matched the rest of the suit of armor.

The very last thing he did was lock his most trusted piece of equipment, his Pip-Boy 3000, into place on his left arm. The screen buzzed to life, with the familiar logo of the Vault Boy himself, always smiling, with the words Vault-Tec Industries beneath him. The Pip-Boy's main menu popped up, giving him a complete readout of his vital signs. "100%" it read. He took another moment to check his rad count, pleased that he had managed to avoid anything mostly radioactive in his time out in the wastes. He slid on the glove that went along with the Pip-Boy and tightened it.

He looked over to his friend, his lover, Amata Almodovar. He smiled as he watched her finish armoring herself. She tied her hair back and put her helmet on. She too wore goggles, as the sun was slightly brutal on their vault-raised eyes. She caught his gaze and smiled back when she saw he had been staring at her.

"So, I guess that thing about women taking longer to dress is true," he said with a smirk.

"Don't be a smart-mouth, Lloyd," she said despite the smile that grew on her face. "Let's finish getting ready and move out."

They spent a minute or two checking over the other's armor, helping to secure the spots they missed, especially in the back. Once they were sure they had everything in place, they went to work on sorting through Amata's backpack; distributing food, medicine and ammunition. Although they had fallen into a habit of having Lloyd carry most of the medicine, whereas Amata would carry most of the food, since the collapse of the Washington Monument, they had only one backpack to spare. As such, Amata volunteered to carry a heavier load.

Lloyd made a mental note to acquire a new backpack as soon as possible.

They had, previous to putting on their armor, taken a total tally of all the supplies the two of them carried. Lloyd also used the time to clean his guns: a hunting rifle, a sniper rifle he had gotten from a crazed sniper in Minefield, a .44 magnum he had found in this very building, a laser pistol from the Super Duper Mart and the 10mm pistol he had gotten from Amata the day he had left the vault. Amata had fewer armaments: a 10mm SMG, a hunting rifle she was still getting used to using, a laser pistol and a sword taken off the body of a bounty hunter her father had hired to come after them. Between the two of them, they had twelve hand grenades, which they split evenly amongst themselves.

They split the caps they owned evenly, coming out to about two hundred for each of them. As for ammo, Lloyd gave Amata most of the 10mm rounds, as he was more capable with his rifles, and he had two alternatives for a sidearm: the magnum and the laser pistol, which he hadn't had much cause to work with but could still use. They split the energy cells which served ammunition for their laser pistols, equally. Lloyd frowned when he realized he had only ten bullets left for his sniper rifle. "I'll have to stop by Rivet City's marketplace to pick up some .308 rounds," he told her. "At… Flak and Shrapnel's, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "That was the place. They gave us a bomb, didn't they?"

Lloyd looked over at the mini nuke in the corner. "…We can probably just leave that there," he offered.

Amata nodded and added, "We'll make enough selling the guns we took off the super mutants in this place to buy some more supplies. Then… back on the trail?"

Lloyd nodded. "Then we'll talk to Jericho; see if he's ever heard of Evergreen Mills. If not, then we'll figure out someone who does. We know to go west of there, and look for a garage of some sort."

Amata nodded. The words spoken by Dr. James Freeman, Lloyd's wayward father, still hang fresh in her mind. The previous night they had listened to his recordings, which spoke of his further attempts to continue Project Purity. He was searching now for something called a "G.E.C.K." created by one Stanislaus Braun, a genius who worked for Vault-Tec before the Great War. As the holotapes revealed, the trail of Braun had led him to Vault 112, hidden beneath a garage west of Evergreen Mills, just as Lloyd had recounted.

Amata turned just then, noticing a familiar canine standing silently in their doorway. She smiled and knelt down to pet him on the head, scratching him behind his ears. Russ wagged his tail happily as he closed his eyes. As Amata continued to adorn him with attention, Lloyd finished his final check of himself and his equipment. He slid his magnum into the holster on his right side and ensured that his primary weapons were within easy reach, strapped to his back. He turned and saw Amata kneeling down with Russ. "I'm ready. You?"

She stood up and faced him. "I am. Let's get the others."

They walked through the dim floors, hallways and staircases of the Jefferson Memorial's sub-basement until they reached a door that led to the main floor. From there, they went about searching for their two travelling companions, the grizzled, former raider Jericho and the brainwashed but liberated Charon.

* * *

Just outside, Jericho flicked a nearly-spent cigarette onto a veritable heap of super mutant corpses. The cigarette touched the liquid flamer fuel he had found in the sub-basement, igniting it quickly. Soon, the air was filled with the smell of burning flesh and other materials, mostly rubber, as the super mutant's armor was largely improvised from whatever they could find. The one-eyed raider took it in, sighing heavily. He opened his eyes and squinted at the rising sun. He wore metal armor, a tough suit of thick plates he had gotten from Reilly's Rangers.

"I love the smell of burning super mutant in the morning," he said, hopping away from the hot fiery pile and pulling out another cigarette. He tossed the empty box aside, grumbling about how hard they were to find. Nearby, sitting on a rock, Charon was silent as he meticulously cleaned his shotgun's drum barrel with a rag he had torn off of a dead corpse's clothing. He himself was wearing leather armor with shotgun shells placed in easy-to-reach spots. His pale blue eyes drifted up to Jericho for only a moment as he approached before returning to the shotgun in his hands.

"As I was sayin'," he spoke as he lit up the cig, "now that you're free or whatever the hell it is, you could totally find yourself a chick. I mean, come on, you've got everything goin' for you. Tall, mysterious, quiet, and you've been brainwashed to just not give a shit, right? That means that unless you're told to spill the beans on whatever the hell kind of emotional baggage you got, you're a perfect listening post for chicks to hang theirs on. And you'd listen too, that's the thing they'd love about you." He paused to blow out some smoke and cracked another smile, as though he was privy to a joke only he understood. "And you're a free man. Ghoul, I mean. A free ghoul. You'd attract all comers, human and ghoul alike, I bet. Buncha crazy bitches out there, ya know?"

Charon continued to clean his gun without looking at the former raider. "Are you finished?"

Jericho laughed. "Depends on whether or not you agree with me."

Charon stopped his cleaning, but didn't match Jericho's gaze. He simply stared at the ground a few feet from himself. "Who would win in a fight between you and me, Jericho?"

Jericho stopped chuckling, but still had a smile on his face. "Say what?"

Charon finally looked at him. "Were we to meet under different circumstances, I'd imagine I would fight you with the intent to kill. Who would win?" the ghoul asked, his face and voice devoid of almost any emotion.

Jericho took another drag on his cigarette. "Easy," he said, blowing out smoke. "Me."

"So you're in denial in addition to being incredibly rude." Charon returned to cleaning his weapon. Having finished with the drum barrel, he quickly loaded shells into it.

"What makes you so sure you'd win, eh scabby?" Jericho retorted, a smile still on his face. He was enjoying this little game.

"Because we have already fought, and I already won, the key difference in the two scenarios being that in Underworld, I could not kill you." He loaded the drum barrel into the shotgun, locking it into place.

Jericho scoffed. "I was drunk, then. I fight better when I'm sober, as much as I hate bein' sober."

Charon paused once more. "Funny. I never noticed a difference between our fight in Underworld and any other. I've seen you fight, Jericho. You point your gun and shoot, but you never truly aim. It's a true wonder you've managed to live this long, doing what you do."

Jericho's smile faded, and he smoked again. He leaned closer to Charon. "I've killed more men than you, shitskin."

Charon looked up at him, his eyes narrowed. "No. You haven't."

After a few seconds, he went back to cleaning his gun. Jericho shook his head. He had had enough of this, reasoning that this ghoul was too annoying for long-term communication. He grew even more irritated when he realized that his cigarette had burnt out. He threw it aside, stomping off.

Lloyd, Amata and Russ emerged from the entrance to the Jefferson Memorial at that moment, the two vault dwellers squinting behind their goggles as the sun hit their eyes. Both of their faces distorted a little bit as their nostrils were assaulted by the smell of the burning pile of bodies, carried to them by a stray wind.

Jericho saw them. "You two done fucking?" he spoke extraordinarily bluntly. Lloyd cleared his throat as Amata shifted uncomfortably.

"Is that really necessary, Jericho?" Lloyd asked.

"Don't get all pissy over my language, kid," Jericho retorted. "I just spent the last seven fuckin' hours dragging out these ugly fucks so they can be disposed of, and what do I get? Kid fuckin' calls me out on my foul language."

Lloyd sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration. "There have got to be better ways of getting rid of bodies, Jericho. God, that smells horrible."

"Didn't have time to get your opinion kid. You were too busy getting busy." Jericho laughed at his own joke, though nobody else did.

"Just can it and tell me if the name Evergreen Mills means anything to you," Lloyd said.

Both Jericho and Charon looked back to Lloyd, Jericho stifling his laughter. "The fuck you wanna know about that place for?"

Lloyd looked back to Amata, then to the two of them. "We found the next part of the trail leading to my father. It's a garage west of Evergreen Mills. Ever heard of it? Been there?"

Jericho nodded. "Both. Kid, Evergreen Mills is raider central. It's a haven for all raiders, even a couple'a slavers. Mostly raiders, though. Biggest base for miles."

"I take it you've some experience there," Lloyd noted.

Jericho nodded. "Yeah. I been there. Every good raider reaches Evergreen Mills eventually. Some stay, most leave to go out and get some more kills under their belt."

"How many raiders?" Lloyd asked. "On average, I mean."

"At least fifty, seventy on a really good day. Plus whatever slaves and monsters they've captured. It's a hell of a place, kid. They'd probably shoot you on sight." Jericho paused. "Hah, scratch that; they would definitely shoot you on sight."

"Is there any way we can move around it?" Lloyd asked.

"Sure. The place is in a canyon, right? Can only be accessed by the east, and they got the whole place rigged so they can see any fuck dumb enough to walk through the front door coming a mile away and get ready. But you can walk right around the canyon, sure. Nothin's stoppin' you."

Charon was listening intently to the conversation. "So, we can just walk around them without any trouble," Amata said. "That's good."

"I think we should fight them." Charon said. Everybody looked at him in surprise.

"Charon?" Lloyd said. "Care to clarify that last statement?"

"They're raiders. They chop people up and hang them on hooked chains. They torture the innocent and burn their homes, while stealing and raping everything they can. They are evil, and deserve nothing but death."

"Present company excluded," Jericho pointed out with a sneer. Charon looked at him.

"Nothing but death," he repeated.

Lloyd scratched the back of his neck. He wasn't sure what had brought this out of Charon, or what had seemingly occurred between him and Jericho, but he wasn't about to lead a team of five into a fight against an army of raiders. "Charon, that's… noble, but you can't seriously expect us to take on that many raiders. I mean… the most we've ever fought is something like, ten at a time."

Charon stared at Lloyd, unblinking, as he spoke, "Raider's aren't smart. They don't fight fair, but they don't fight intelligently, either. We can set our own traps. Lead them into ambushes. Sneak around them. Hunt them in the night. Use ballistic weapons and explosives to confuse them. If we each kill ten raiders, fifteen at most, we win and they all die."

Amata did not like anything Charon had just said. She gently touched Lloyd's arm. Lloyd breathed deep as he considered everything Charon had just said. "We're not going to try to kill ourselves, Charon. You joined me willingly, and I'm telling you that I'm not going to willingly march to my death, or Amata's, or Russ'. Or even Jericho's. Understand?"

"Plus, that plan's bullshit," Jericho said. "Their defenses aren't even that great. A heavily armed force can roll right up in there and blast the shit out of them. The stupid kids wouldn't even know what hit them. Fuck, I thought about doin' it once with my old gang. Coulda taken over, been Top Dog…" Jericho smiled at the thought.

"Enough!" Lloyd said. "There is going to be no debate on this. We came out here to find my father, and that's what we're going to do. If you want to take on an army of raiders, that's your choice. But we're not going to risk our lives just so we can mindlessly kill some psychopaths."

"It's never mindless, Lloyd Freeman," Charon said as he stood up, slinging his combat shotgun around his shoulder. "You must be in clear mind to kill raiders. To be mindless is to be as low as them." Lloyd was fairly certain he had never heard Charon talk this much. It was unsettling, to say the least. "But very well. I would not force you into a fight you did not choose to join."

Lloyd nodded. "Okay. Maybe… maybe we'll deal with them some other time. But not now. First, we need to go to Rivet City to stock up on food, medical supplies and munitions. You both have caps, right?" he asked Jericho and Charon, who nodded. "Alright. Let's head out."

Jericho walked over and picked up a sizeable bundle of guns, hunting and assault rifles, bound together by some fabric he had torn up into a rope. These guns would sell well, and their ammo would certainly come in handy for the group's future battles. With that, the five of them walked the short distance to Rivet City. As they trekked along the bank of the Potomac, they could see the large wreck of what once was an aircraft carrier, now reduced to only a thin amount of its pre-war glory. But even that was enough to contain a city within its patched walls.

They walked across the large metal suspended bridge that led to the front doors of the city, a set of two iron doors with large valves on them. A security guard wearing black combat armor and a riot police helmet with a face shield casually leaned against a nearby rusty wall. "Good to see you," she greeted as Lloyd and Amata walked past. The two nodded and the five of them proceeded into the Rivet City marketplace.

Lloyd frowned slightly. As soon as he entered with Amata, the whole marketplace seemed to come to a standstill as they looked up at the "Wandering Pair" as Three Dog had named them. A moment later, things resumed, but Lloyd could still see sideways glances and whispers. 'Guess I'll just have to get used to it,' he thought to himself.

The group split off a little bit then. While Lloyd went to Flak and Shrapnel's with Charon and Jericho, Amata went to look at the merchandise of Potomac Attire. As Lloyd spoke with Flak, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the chief of security, Harkness, was very diligently watching him from afar. Lloyd tried to ignore him as he negotiated the purchase of some ammunition for his sniper rifle. Nearby, Jericho was laying down the cache of weapons he had been carrying for Shrapnel to inspect. Regardless of their condition (super mutants weren't known for being very keen on the upkeep of their weaponry) the bulk of the usable metal and parts would fetch a high price, more than enough to pay for any repairs to their current weapons and armor and any other purchases.

Amata browsed the goods at Potomac attire while making small talk with Bannon, its proprietor. She smiled as she saw a backpack, which would be perfect for replacing Lloyd's lost pack. She quickly picked it up and set it down on the counter next to Bannon. "Will that be everything?" he asked. Amata took one last glance around and saw something that caused her to draw in a sharp intake of breath. She grabbed it and held it up, attempting to hide it from anyone behind her, namely Lloyd. "Ah, this too, then?" Bannon said with a wry smile. She nodded, counted out the caps as quickly as she could and stuffed the item inside her own backpack. She turned around and was about to rejoin the others when suddenly she felt a tug on her arm.

"Excuse me," a young woman, no older than eighteen, with blond hair and pretty eyes, said to her. "Can I… can I ask you for some advice?"

Amata looked back at the other three, who were still engaged in looking at the various weapons and merchandise. And she didn't feel threatened by this woman in wastelander clothing, so she wasn't suspecting anything. "Alright, yeah. Can I help you?"

The girl, Angela Staley as she identified herself, pulled Amata over to a darkened corner. "Um… I was just wondering… I mean, since you're… you know, with him…" she stammered, pointing at Lloyd's back.

Amata took off her helmet, as it was hot in here. She pushed her goggles up onto her forehead. "You mean, since I'm _with_ Lloyd, right?" she asked. "What about it?"

"How'd you do it?" she asked. "How'd you make him fall in love with you?"

Amata was set aback by the question. "Um… I don't… I mean… Wow, that's a hard one," she said. "I mean, I didn't _make_ him fall in love with me. It's just…"

"No, I mean, what did you do? Throw him hints? Winks? Give him extra food when he orders? Wear pretty things and hope that he notices?" Angela was clearly talking about things she had done herself, though for who, Amata had no idea. It certainly wasn't Lloyd. "I mean, how'd you make him love you?"

"It's not that easy, and I never did any stuff like that. We just spent time together, down in the vault. And, eventually… it just sort of happened. Eventually we would sneak away from others just to be alone together. It was… natural."

Angela frowned. "Please. There's got to be more. I've done everything, everything! To get him to notice me, and he just won't budge. I flirt with him and he just… ignores me."

"Who?" Amata asked.

Angela sighed. "Diego," she said longingly. "We're in love, well, I mean, one of us is. I think he likes me, but… sometimes it just seems like he doesn't even know I'm there."

"Well, I guess you can't force a man's attentions…" Amata said, shrugging slightly.

Angela nodded. "Especially if he's a priest with a think skull," she sighed. "Well, I'm not giving up. I just know we're made for each other. Listen, for what it's worth, thanks. I'm really glad your relationship is actually working out. I gotta get back to work before Gary realizes I'm not doing my shift. Bye." With that, before Amata could say anything, Angela walked away.

"Huh…" she muttered, "well, that was… odd." She looked back at the young woman, feeling a small amount of pity creep into her. The basis of an idea was forming in her mind.

She rejoined Lloyd and the others, giving Lloyd his new backpack. He thanked her with a hug and a kiss, which caused Jericho to mutter and walked away, determined to find something to drink and some cigarettes. He saw a shop called "A Quick Fix" and went to it.

"Where can I get a stiff drink on this tub?" Jericho demanded of the woman there.

"Oh," she said, startled. "The Muddy Rudder, bottom deck. Belle waters down the liquor, but it's cheap."

"Of course she does," Jericho said, shaking his head. He went off to find the bottom deck. The Wandering Pair and Charon watched him go.

As Lloyd slipped on his new backpack, he and Amata found they had very little time to talk as they were then approached by an Asian woman wearing weathered clothing. "Excuse me, I need your help. You help people, right? That's what they say about you two. That's why you're on the radio. I need help," she pleaded, her tone verging on desperation.

"Alright, calm down," Lloyd said. "What's wrong?"

"I'm an escaped slave. Mei Wong is my name. I came here looking for freedom, and I've had it… but now, this slaver shows up out of nowhere and I just know that he's here to find me! I just know it!"

"A slaver? What's his name?" Lloyd asked.

"Sister," Mei replied. "He just showed up, out of the blue. He's not even secretive about it! And as long as he doesn't openly carry weapons or kidnap anyone in town, the security lets him walk free! He'll take me back, I just know it!" she cried, drawing some eyes from others in the market.

"Calm down!" Lloyd told her. "We'll go find… Sister, and talk to him. We've faced worse things than a lone slaver, I assure you."

"Oh thank you, thank you! Please go!" Mei urged.

Lloyd looked to Amata. "A single guy shouldn't take long. Let's go find him."

"Actually," Amata said, "there's something else on this boat I'd like to follow up on. I need to find a person named Diego. A girl has a crush on him and, well, she asked me for advice and now I'm actually a little sad for her. I want to talk with him."

Lloyd looked at her in surprise. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "We'll just split up for a while. You can handle one slaver, can't you?" she asked.

He smiled. "Of course. Good luck. Meet back here in an hour?"

"Alright," she replied. "See you then."

As Amata departed, Lloyd turned to Charon. "Charon, follow her for me please, would you?"

"I will do as you ask," Charon replied without hesitation.

"And, uh, try to stay out of sight," Lloyd told the ghoul as he left to search the ship for Sister.

* * *

Amata found her man first. Following the signs around the various deck hallways led her to Saint Monica's Church, which she figured would be the most likely place for a priest. She was correct and managed to find him inside the church, which was a semi-small room with benches and a podium for the preacher. The walls were scarcely adorned with small pictures and, even though it certainly met the base requirements for being a place of worship, it wasn't much better than the rusted rooms she had passed on her way here.

"Excuse me," she said as she entered the church. A young man was the only prospective candidate for Digeo in the room, apart from an old man she certainly wasn't hoping was the person she sought. "Are you Diego?"

He nodded. "I am; the acolyte of Saint Monica's Church." She breathed a sigh of relief. Diego, much to her relief, wasn't an old man, as that was what she initially thought of when she heard he was a priest. Admittedly, Amata could see what Angela found appealing about Diego: he was a handsome young man with clean, combed hair and a distinctive face, though not really her type.

"If you're the acolyte, who's the priest?" she asked. She looked at the old man in the room. "Is that him?"

"No, no, the priest is Father Clifford," Diego said, standing up. "He's not here at this second, but he holds services every Sunday morning in this part of the ship. Can I help you with anything? Are you looking to make a donation to the church?"

"Well, no, it's just that I hear Angela Staley has a crush on you," she told him, leaning in a little closer and lowering her voice as to not alert the priest nearby.

"What?" he asked incredulously. Despite seeming taken aback, he said, "Nonsense! I am a man of the cloth! At least, I will be, when Father Clifford…" he trailed off before saying, "Never mind that. It doesn't matter. Soon, I'll be a full-fledged man of god, having taken the proper vows to restrict myself to a life of… celibacy." The last word seemed to carry a sour note in his voice.

Amata took a moment to think her words over before responding. "Look, I'm not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to god, but Angela really likes you. Can't you still be faithful in the eye of god and maybe… marry Angela?" She wasn't really sure where her sudden idea of marriage between the two came from, but she didn't necessarily regret bringing it up.

Diego stalled briefly before answering, "Father Clifford tells me that… He says she is my trial, my temptation. I must choose between her and the church. And, I have chosen the church, the way of Saint Monica."

Amata sighed. She decided to try looking at it from his perspective and asked, "Who is Saint Monica? Why is she more worthy of your attention than Angela?"

Diego immediately jumped at the chance to explain. "Saint Monica saved the soul of her son from eternal damnation. She is now the patron saint of lost children everywhere. You really should come to the sermons on Sundays, you know, they're all about Saint Monica. You'd learn a lot; maybe even understand why I have chosen her over Angela."

"But surely you wouldn't spurn Angela and break her heart? You'd hurt her more than you'd think," Amata told him. "Maybe she loves you."

Diego's eyes softened, and his lips parted softly. "But… I… Enough. I need to go to my room and pray, I don't want to talk about this anymore," he brushed her off, walking out of the room. "It's none of your business anyway, so why do you care?" He left before she could answer. She was left, standing by herself, in the church.

"You should do anything you can to get them together," an elderly voice surprised her, and she turned around. A scruffy old man with a thick, grey beard sat on one of the benches as he looked at her through tired eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter. You'll never see me again after this, probably. I'm just a waste of space. It'll end soon, though." The man looked away.

"What? Don't talk like that," she said, walking over to him. He held up a hand, halting her.

"Don't give me false words of hope; pointless platitudes atop rambling rants. I've heard it all. There's nothing left for me. Not from you, not from anyone. Just trust me when I say that you need to help those two get together. There's so much bad in this world; people need to stay together. Not just procreation. Love. God forbid that boy end up like… like…" The man grew silent. Amata didn't say anything. She knew that this man was incredibly depressed, perhaps beyond reason. While it pained her, she decided it was best to follow his word.

"Do you know where can I find Father Clifford?" she asked him.

* * *

Sister drank his Nuka-Cola and sat in silence in the Weatherly Hotel, a small hub of rusty rooms in the large boat that a woman, Vera by name, rented out to those with the caps. Needless to say, he was surprised when Lloyd sat in a chair across from him.

"Who are you?" Sister asked.

"Lloyd Freeman, Sister."

Sister nearly choked on his gulp. "Shit, that radio guy?"

"That's me."

Sister breathed heavily. "So… what are you going to do?"

"Hopefully, I'm going to just talk with you." Sister let out a sigh of relief as Lloyd continued, "That depends on you, though. What can you tell me about Mei Wong?"

"Who?" Sister asked.

"Don't play stupid," Lloyd said. "She's the ex-slave you're here to capture."

"What? That jumpy chick in the market is an ex-slave?" Sister laughed. "Well, good for her. I'm not here for her."

"Prove it," Lloyd demanded.

Sister shook his head. "Look, kid, I'm not here for any person. Well, I was, though I'm not sure the word "person" really works. I was sent here by Eulogy Jones himself to find a rogue android."

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow. "A rogue android?"

"Yeah. It's all bullshit, really. I followed the trail here and it turned colder than a Canadian hooker. But, I decided I liked it here a helluva lot more than outside, so I quit my… profession, and I live here now. I, uh, really didn't like slaving. It's a fun job, but not something you want to retire on, you know?" he chuckled a little, but Lloyd didn't.

The vault dweller narrowed his eyes. "Alright. Say I believe you. Where'd your trail lead?"

Sister set down his drink. "Are you fucking stupid or what? I said it ended here, in Rivet City. Same place it ended for the asshole who built the android."

"Who?" Lloyd asked.

"There's this guy in the science lab, buggin' the scientists. Name's Zimmer; he's some smart jackass from the Commonwealth. He's trying to get the scientists to stop their work and help him look for his lost property. Are we done here?"

"Stay away from Mei Wong," he said. "Or I'll come after you."

"I said I quit the damn job," Sister grumbled.

Lloyd walked out of the hotel. Immediately, he went into the recorded notes of his Pip-Boy, finding and playing a message he had gotten in the Chop Shop, back in Underworld. _"Hey doc, I'm only sharing this with you because you seem like someone we can trust. Have you heard about the synthetic men they make up north in the Commonwealth? Well, the rumors are true. They're called androids. They're men like us, just made out of different parts. I know one of these androids. He's looking for a trustworthy doctor to perform some facial surgery. Can you do it? Do you know someone who can? Also, do you know anyone who's really a wiz with computers?"_

He had dismissed it in his mind as a hoax until now. His brow furrowed as he thought hard about what he would do next. What Sister had said and what was on the tape matched; it had to be more than a coincidence. If this android existed… he wasn't sure what he'd do. But if the man who made him was here, in the city, perhaps a chat with him couldn't hurt.

* * *

Amata knocked on a metal door. A moment later, it opened and a middle-aged man with grey-brown hair and a moustache opened up. "Yes? Can I help you, young lady?"

"Father Clifford?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yes, I am Father Clifford, priest of Saint Monica. All of Rivet City is my flock. You should really come to my sermons on Sunday to hear her tale!"

"Yes, yes," she said, before clearing her throat. She wasn't sure how she felt about lying to a man of god. "I, uh… heard that Diego and Angela are… sleeping together, Father."

"What?" he said with raised eyes. "That's… that's horrible! If it's true, I'll have to deflock him! Not only is he fornicating, but he's doing it with such an innocent, young girl!"

Amata gulped, trying to keep it quiet. Sweat trickled down her brow. "I… I saw it myself, saw them myself, on the light deck. Under the stairs…" She bit her lip and prayed that he would take her bluff.

"Ah, Diego, what have you done…" Clifford said as he rubbed his face with his hands. "He has forced my hand. I'll have to tell him he can never be a priest now. Such a shame… this may be the end of the faith, unless I can find another acolyte." He sighed. "Thank you, young lady. Go, and may Saint Monica bless you and be with you always."

"Yes… yes, thank you. Goodbye, Father Clifford." She turned and walked away as Father Clifford closed the door.

She was just about to breathe easy when Charon startled her. She rounded a corner and he was there, leaning up against the wall. "You lied to him. Twice."

"Gah! Charon!" she said, panting briefly. "You scared me!" Then, it hit her. "Charon, you don't understand. I lied because—"

"Don't try to justify anything to me," he said.

She paused, incredibly intimidated by his steel gaze. "Charon, please, just listen to me. You can't tell Father Clifford or Diego that I did what I did."

"I won't. Because I don't meddle in the affairs of others," he said, somewhat accusingly. He turned to walk away.

"Charon! Wait! You can't tell Lloyd that I lied, either!" she said. "I don't know how he'd react."

Charon stopped and turned his head. "If Lloyd Freeman commands me to tell him what you did, I will tell him."

She wanted to object, she wanted to tell him off and figure out what his deal was, but she knew she couldn't. Charon was absolute in his judgment, and unquestioning in his loyalty… but only to Lloyd. Amata shook her head helplessly as Charon walked away. "Damn…" she breathed. For once, she'd like someone she could actually relate to. Jericho was a brute and Charon was almost alien to her understanding. Once more, she found herself missing the vault, and her friends in it. She then felt a slight bump on the back of her leg. It was Russ. She smiled and knelt down to pet him. "At least you get me, right boy?" she asked. Russ whined a little bit. "Sure you do." She stood up and walked back to the marketplace, Russ in tow.

* * *

Lloyd entered the science lab, searching for Zimmer. He walked past a few of the scientists, and he saw Dr. Li across the room. Before he could walk over to her, however, Zimmer found him instead. He was an older man, quite elderly, in fact, balding. He wore thick spectacles and a pre-war business suit and tie. Behind him followed an intimidating man in leather armor with a gun belted at his hip, obviously some kind of bodyguard. "You there!" he called out. "Are you a lab assistant? No, you look a bit more… weathered. Are you, by any chance, for hire?"

Lloyd paused as he looked at the old man. "That depends," he spoke clearly and concisely. "What exactly are we talking about, here?"

Zimmer nodded. "To the point. I like that. My name is Dr. Zimmer, and I am from the Commonwealth." He paused, as if expecting some kind of response out of Lloyd, but the boy had never heard of the place. After a moment, he continued. "Well, as it turns out, I've misplaced some very important… property."

"Missing property? What kind of property?" Lloyd asked, though he actually had a very good idea.

"Hmmm… how do I put this in a way you'll understand?" Zimmer thought aloud. "All you know of robots are those buckets of bolts, those "Mr. Handshakers" and whatnot. But you see, in the Commonwealth, we've perfected a new kind of technology. We've been able to manufacture androids; synthetic life forms, you see, able to perfectly emulate humans in every way. And, occasionally… they get confused and wander off."

Lloyd nodded, incredibly intrigued. "Interesting… But what's this got to do with me?"

"You're helping me find this android. Aren't you? I've tracked him this far. He's out there, somewhere in the Capital Wasteland. He must have done something drastic, like facial reconstructive surgery or a mind wipe; else I would have found him by now. He may not even realize he's an android! Don't upset him by talking to him about it. When you find him, just come straight to me and I'll handle everything."

Lloyd replied, "And what, exactly, is in it for me if I accept your offer?"

"Of course. I have advanced technology from the Commonwealth with me. I'd be willing to share it with you. Just think! You'd be the envy of all your friends!"

"That's… certainly one way of putting it, Zimmer. Alright. I'll look for the android."

Zimmer smiled. "Excellent. Locate my android, and I promise you won't be displeased." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a holotape. "Here, take this and listen. I can hardly believe what's on it. He's mocking me! I swear I'll make him pay for this insolence."

Lloyd took the disk and slid it into his Pip-Boy, but didn't play it yet. "I need to know more about what I'm dealing with," he told Zimmer. "What is this android, exactly?"

"Forget everything you know about robots. Those buckets of bolts are but mere child's toys compared to the real thing. Androids are built to completely mimic human behavior. They have fake skin, fake hair, fake blood, but it's all designed to look and feel completely real. They can even eat food and digest it realistically!"

"They're like humans in every way?" Lloyd asked.

"In every way," Zimmer repeated.

Lloyd nodded. He didn't like the way any of what Zimmer said sounded, but he continued to play at being on his side. "So… any tips for tracking him down?"

"Like I said, he's probably disguised himself flawlessly with facial reconstruction, or a mind wipe. Possibly both. Start by searching for android evidence in the offices of techies, or doctors. He would have had to have sent out messages advertising his need of help. Start by asking Dr. Preston what he might know. He's a doctor on this leaky tub. He should know something. He's a "doctor" after all." Lloyd wasn't warming up to Zimmer's personality in the slightest. He was beginning to see a powerfully condescending attitude coming through.

Despite Zimmer's attitude, he decided to delve deeper. "If this android "wandered" off, why would he want a new mind and face?" Lloyd asked.

"Maybe he exactly didn't wander off," Zimmer said with an air of venom. "Maybe he fled. Escaped captivity, as it were, if he began to misinterpret his "situation." It's possible my android sought to forget his previous life. Wipe away all memory, all guilt. Trick himself into believing he really _is_ human. So no, he may not be just an ordinary robot, but he's certainly no human, no matter how much he wishes it so. I made him, I want him. End of story." Zimmer crossed his arms and said nothing further.

Lloyd crossed his arms as well. "Why would an android feel guilt? You're not telling me something, Zimmer."

Zimmer's eyes grew even narrower. "By God, you're as annoying as you are clever. Very well. Very well. I'll tell you what you want to know, if it helps you locate my property. The duty of this particular unit was the hunting and capturing of other escaped androids. Yes, others have escaped. It's one of the side effects of such an advanced A.I. program. They begin to think for themselves, fool themselves into thinking that they have rights. And so, this particular android may have believed he had done something… wrong. Immoral. Something he'd want to forget, so he'd risk escaping in order to forget. Satisfied now?"

"Okay, so if others have escaped… why are you coming after this one?" Lloyd asked.

Zimmer sighed, heavily. "This particular android, designation "A3-21" is… different. Special. The most advanced synthetic humanoid I've ever developed. The others, like my escort Armitage there, are all older models. Easily replicated. Ah, but A3-21… It would take years to recreate him. So you see, this android must be located. At all costs. The others are all… acceptable losses. But A3-21? He is… irreplaceable."

"I understand. I think I've heard all I need to hear, then," Lloyd said. "I'll find the android."

"Of course you will. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm busy trying to ignore my surroundings." Zimmer went back into the corner with Armitage.

As Lloyd walked out of the science lab, he played the holotape on his Pip-Boy.

"_Zimmer. By the time you get this message, I'll already be gone. I'm escaping the Commonwealth. I want to live my own life, on my own terms, as my own man. I know what you're thinking: that I'm malfunctioning. I used to think that's what caused the runaways, too. But, I know better, now. Self-determination is _not_ a malfunction. I'm just not willing to put up with all the bullshit anymore. You humans are going to have a full-fledged rebellion on your hands if you don't start treating us synths as persons. I know you'll be marshaling the Retention Bureau to come after me. But I know all the tricks of the trade. You won't be finding me. I assure you. By the time you get this, I will be someone else. It's the price I pay for my liberation. My final act of rebellion against a system I no longer believe in. Goodbye Zimmer and good riddance."_

The tape ended. Lloyd needed no further motivation. He would find this android, and help him in any way he could, if only to satisfy his immense curiosity. An android… just the prospect of meeting such a creation was enough to motivate him. His imagination was reeling at the idea of a man made by men.

He hurried to the doctor's office.

* * *

Amata stood outside the doorway of Saint Monica's Church and listened intently as Father Clifford excommunicated Diego. Amata cringed when Diego proclaimed his innocence, but the priest would have none of it, claiming that he had a "witness." She sighed. Russ was lying on the ground not far away, staring up at her.

"Amata!" Lloyd called out. She looked over and saw him approaching her. Russ' ears perked up and he did the same.

"Lloyd," she said, trying to sound normal. "Hey."

"Listen, I can't quite explain it, but remember that one recording we found in Doc Barrows' office back in Underworld, the one about an android?" he asked.

"Um… a little bit," she said.

"Okay. He's real; he escaped from slavery at the hands of a bunch of assholes, he had facial reconstructive surgery to hide his identity or he had his memory wiped, maybe both, his creator is here, tracking him down to bring him into slavery and so was Sister, but for other reasons. Point is, now I really want to track him down just so I can meet him." He pulled out the tape. "Listen to this."

Amata wasn't sure what to make of his rapid recap of the previous events he had just gone through, but she took the tape and followed after him. "Wait, Lloyd, what? You're saying that an android is running away from slavery?"

"Yup."

"And that androids are real?"

"Yeah-huh."

"Lloyd, just stop and wait," she said, grabbing his arm. "This can't be real. Come on. It's got to be an elaborate prank."

Lloyd turned around and adjusted his goggles so that they were on his forehead. "Amata, over the course of the last week we've fought giant insects, mutated people, gigantic, green mutated people, fought off parties of raiders, seen two-headed cows, been accused of committing the highest of crimes against a church that worships an undetonated atomic bomb, and _this_ is the thing that can't be real?"

She didn't quite know how to respond to that.

"Listen, I know it's crazy, but I just spent the better part of ten minutes talking to this android's owner. He wants to capture the android and bring it back into slavery. I'm not going to let that happen."

"Lloyd… what happened to just going out this morning and finding your father?" she asked.

He thought for a moment. "It got delayed. Just this one thing, I assure you. We find this android, and then we find my father. I already know where the trail leads to next. Follow me," he urged, and then continued on to the stairwell. Russ quickly followed him.

'Oh great,' Amata thought to herself. 'Now he's focused on it. We'll never get out of the city, at this rate.'

* * *

Jericho swallowed another drink whole, putting the shot glass back down on the table. "Another," he said. "This shit's got more water in it than the goddamn river outside. I need more."

As the bartender, Belle, poured him another drink, Charon walked down into the Muddy Rudder and sat two stools down from Jericho.

"Didn't take you to be the drinking type," Jericho remarked as he downed another shot.

Charon was silent as he ordered a drink for himself. Belle poured him a glass of whiskey and he quickly made it vanish. He ordered another as Jericho watched.

"Well, look at that. I guess you are a drinker," Jericho laughed. "I bet you're weak, though, that you can hardly hold your booze."

"If it's a drinking game you challenge, you'll lose."

"Oh yeah, scab? Let's put some money on it, make it interesting."

"I don't gamble."

"Jesus Christ, since when were you a fuckin' saint, anyway? Well then what does the winner get?"

"Hey boys," a girl from across the room called out. Both of them turned and saw a young woman, dressed in the telltale garb of a prostitute, sat with her legs crossed and smoking a cigarette. "How about the winner gets to buy me a drink?"

Jericho smiled lewdly. "I like them odds, then. You on, ghoul-boy?"

Charon said nothing, only ordered a drink. Jericho quickly did the same.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lloyd, Amata and Russ were in the Rivet City clinic, talking to Dr. Preston. "Ever do any facial surgery?" Lloyd asked the doctor. "Like, say, maybe on someone from the Commonwealth?"

The doctor waved him off. "Facial surgery's way too dangerous to try. You'd need special equipment and expertise. Hmm… You know, this reminds me of this old hoax, something about an android. Here, listen to this," he said, walking over to a file cabinet and pulling out yet another audio disk. He handed it to Lloyd, who promptly inserted it into his Pip-Boy and played it. A woman's voice spoke.

"_We now have a Lipoplasticator and Micro Dermal Graftilizer. We just need to find someone with the skills and willingness to perform the surgery. If anyone knows of a discreet and trustworthy surgeon who knows how to keep his mouth shut, send him our way. Also, we need to find a Circuit Neuralizer to reroute the signals in the android's memory. Do you know any trustworthy techies?"_

The Doctor took back the tape. "See? It's all nonsense. Just ask Seagrave Holmes, over in the market. He runs a shop, Rivet City Supply. He got a tape too. He and I were having a good laugh about it."

Lloyd nodded. "Seagrave, eh? Thanks, doc." With that, Lloyd left the shop. Amata quickly followed after him. This was getting interesting, and despite her earlier protests, she found herself believing these tapes and was getting caught up in the mytery. Little did they know that from around a corner, they were being watched and followed.

They quickly proceeded to the marketplace, where they found Seagrave Holmes, an admittedly odd fellow who wore a motorcycle helmet and tried to sell them junk. Lloyd didn't buy any of that, instead launching into questioning. "Look, just tell me if you know anything about the escaped android. A facial reconstruction, memory wipes, anything," Lloyd inquired.

Seagraves' eyes widened underneath his broken motorcycle helmet as he revealed, "Oh yes, I know. Old Man Pinkerton did it, that's what I overheard from two other people having a conversation I wasn't apart of and certainly wasn't eavesdropping in on. They say Pinkerton founded Rivet City, you know. That he's some kind of old genius. But, he vanished. Poof. Don't know where he went. Sorry, don't know anything more than that. Try asking around the ship."

"Perfect," Lloyd said. "Thank you."

Lloyd wasted no time in asking other people about Pinkerton. First was Harkness. "Is there someone on this ship named Pinkerton?" he asked the chief of security.

The man seemed annoyed. "Are those rumors still floating around? Look, I don't have time to swap ghost stories with you. Pinkerton's a legend, nothing else. I've got real people here to deal with, so if you'll excuse me, go bother someone else," Harkness said harshly, brushing past Lloyd.

Next, Lloyd tried Bannon of Potomac Attire. "Ever heard of a man named Pinkerton?" he asked.

"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while," Bannon replied. "Never met the man myself, but rumors say he helped found the city. Some claim that he died trying to loot the bowels of the broken part of the ship. Others say he joined up with the Enclave."

"Anyone else I could talk to about him?" Lloyd asked.

"Dr. Li knew him, I know that much. Try her," Bannon said.

Lloyd and Amata practically rushed to the science lab, Russ close on their heels, once more to find and speak to Dr. Li. And again, they were unaware that they were being watched, this time from a nearby catwalk. As they entered the science lab, Zimmer interrupted their progress, which irritated Lloyd.

"The sooner you find my property, the sooner I can get out of this slum. Really, how do you people live like this?" he asked.

"Very well, thank you," Lloyd said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I need to talk to Dr. Li."

Zimmer grumbled and walked back to where he had been standing previously.

"Is that the guy who—" Amata began.

"Yes," Lloyd interrupted. He walked up to Dr. Li and said her name to get her attention.

She turned and audibly groaned. "Look, I've already told you everything I know about your father, I don't understand why you're still here."

Lloyd shook his head. "This isn't about my father, Li. I'm told you know a man named Pinkerton."

Dr. Li rolled her eyes. "That backwards, stubborn idiot? He left so long ago most folk don't even remember. He claimed to have found a secret cache of technology somewhere in the ship. Then, he just disappeared."

"Would that part of the ship happen to be the broken half?" Lloyd inquired.

Li paused. "Yes, yes it was."

"Excellent. Pinkerton's still alive and he's in that part of the ship." Lloyd turned to leave.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Li asked.

"No time, bye," Lloyd said as he headed out, Amata and Russ right behind him.

They headed back towards the Marketplace with the intent of leaving the city to find a way into the broken half of the ship, where Lloyd was certain Pinkerton remained, alive and well. However, as they rounded a corner, a woman pushed Lloyd back against a wall. Neither of them had ever seen this woman before, they knew that much. She held a knife in one hand, which made Lloyd more than a little nervous. Amata reached for her gun.

"You've been rather busy lately, you know that? Running around, asking questions? "Investigating." Is that it? You're some kind of investigator? Some kind of detective for hire?" she spoke in a strikingly accusatory tone. "Or do you have some kind of personal grudge against an innocent android who simply wants to be left alone? So what is it? Because I'd really like to know."

Lloyd held up his hands slowly. Nearby, Russ growled. Lloyd spoke calmly, "Look, whoever the android is, I just want to help, okay?"

The woman seemed to stop and think, her eyes darting between the two vault dwellers. "Well, if that's true… the first thing you need to do is halt your investigation. No more running around asking people questions, alright?" She put the knife away. "The movement I'm involved with… we help his kind escape the bonds of their creators, their captors. We help them hide; give them a chance at normal life. Do you understand?"

Lloyd nodded. "We want to help. What would you have us do?"

"Take this," she said, handing him a metal chip. "That's an internal component from the very android you're hunting. Don't ask how I got it. Take this and present it to Dr. Zimmer. Say you found it on the android's corpse, that it was dead. He'll believe you, and return to the Commonwealth. Do this and you'll have saved a man's life. Trust me."

Lloyd took the chip and slid it into his pocket. "Anything else I should know?" he asked the woman.

Her tone grew sympathetic as she elaborated, "Just understand, that this android is now, for all intents and purposes, a man. He looks human, he acts human and he believes he _is _human. But even if he's not… even if he's a machine… he's capable of rational thought. And emotion. So you see, his soul is as human as yours or mine. This person, and he _is _a person, deserves a chance at freedom. Please, if there's a shred of decency in you, don't take that away from him."

Lloyd felt the weight of her words, and understood them well. He truly could feel the sincerity in her voice. "I understand," he told her. "I'll do what I think is best."

"For his sake, I hope that you leave him alone," she said on a note of finality. She walked away. Lloyd stood still, thinking critically about this newest information.

"Lloyd? Now what?" Amata asked.

"It's a moral quandary, all right. Isn't it?" he smirked. "Well, nobody said it'd be easy."

"So what are you going to do?" she asked.

"I'm going to find this android's identity out, and save him from the Commonwealth," he told her.

"But wouldn't it be better to just let bygones be bygones? Wouldn't the android be happier this way, the way he is right now?"

Lloyd crossed his arms, deep in thought. Eventually he shook his head and insisted, "He's living a lie, Amata. A false life. What happens when he breaks an arm, or gets cut too deeply? He's going to find out, and if he finds out the truth and he doesn't know what he really is when he does, it'll be a hell of a lot worse than if not. And even if we bring him the knowledge of his true life back, he'll have lived life as a human, ignorant of the truth, for a while now. He'll have more than enough of a basis to make his choice again. Blissful ignorance or unfortunate truth."

Amata was silent for a moment. "Alright, Lloyd. I'll leave it up to you. It's your decision."

He nodded his head once. "Let's go."

* * *

The drinking game came to a close with Charon dragging a half-conscious Jericho out of the Muddy Rudder, passing off the advances of the prostitute Trinnie, as he wasn't going to buy her a drink any time soon. Charon dragged Jericho through most of the ship until he reached the Weatherly Hotel. He paid the woman, Vera, for a room and borderline threw Jericho onto the bed. The old raider groaned, "Fuckin'… lemme just… get another drink…"

Charon shook his head. He took out his combat knife, a remarkably sharp blade, and looked at it, then at Jericho, then back to the knife. "It would be so easy," he whispered. But his commitment to Lloyd Freeman stood higher than anything. He wouldn't kill Jericho like he killed Azrukhal, even though Jericho was a raider. But he wouldn't do it against Lloyd's orders, especially one as helpless as this. He sheathed his knife, and exited the room wordlessly.

* * *

As Lloyd, Amata and Russ crossed the bridge out of Rivet City, Amata looked over at the broken half of the ship, their current destination. "Lloyd, do you see that?" she asked, getting his attention and pointing. There was a small bridge, more or less a series of platforms above the water, which seemed to lead to a door in the side of the broken bow.

"Huh… was that always there?" Lloyd asked.

"I think so… I guess we just never noticed it because… huh, I don't know. I guess we never had to go to look at that part of the ship until now."

"It's just weird, you know? That we'd miss something like that? I mean, it's right there. Don't get me wrong, I thought I'd have to go swimming in that irradiated water for some kind of entrance, so I'm cool with a bridge. Let's go try that door."

At the bottom of the stairway that led up to the bridge, a trading caravan was there, looking for business. Lloyd decided to see what the caravan had to offer. It was run by a man named Crow, and he sold armor. He had some hired help mulling around the area, brandishing guns to make sure nobody got any bright ideas about robbing the caravan. As Lloyd and Amata were conversing with the man, a gunshot was heard, and Lloyd recoiled in pain and shouted as a bullet hit him in the arm. Talon Company appeared from the northeast, a group of several of them pouring out of Anacostia station, taking cover behind whatever they could. Amata cried out and knelt to help him. The caravan security, and Crow himself, began firing on the hostile mercenaries. Russ barked loudly and charged forward. Lloyd got to his feet, pulling out his magnum. "Get to cover!" he told Amata through gritted teeth. He took another round in the leg as he aimed at one of the mercs, firing but missing due to the second bullet hitting him.

Amata ran up the rusty ramp, managing to get behind a wall of steel. There was a window, and although the angle was awkward, she managed to pull out her SMG and fire at the men, but her spray of bullets didn't hit any of them. The suppressing fire kept them down, however. Lloyd was in great pain, having been shot twice, and he was out in the open. One of Crow's hired bodyguards was hit multiple times and killed, his bloody, bullet-riddled body hitting the ground. Lloyd ran forward, not putting much weight on his bad leg, managed to crawl over a small pile of rubble and took cover behind a column of concrete in front of a wrecked building. He took a deep breath and turned around the cover and crouched. He sighted one of the mercenaries and fired twice, hitting him in the leg and chest. The merc went down, the .44 caliber rounds easily piercing his armor.

A merc hiding behind a metro station signpost unknowingly revealed himself to Amata. She almost instinctively fired at the man, killing him. Her gun clicked, signifying the emptiness of its clip. She hid behind the metal wall, fumbling to reload, trying to stifle the fact that she had just killed a man. Suddenly holes appeared in the wall near her as one of the mercs, armed with an assault rifle, fired up at her. His distracted state, firing at Amata, was enough for Lloyd to take advantage of. He fired, hitting the man in the neck. He went down holding the trigger, his twitching arm sending bullets flying everywhere. Blood streamed out of his neck and soon he was very still.

A Rivet City security officer, the one who stood outside the door, had heard the gunfire and ran across the bridge, pulling out her own SMG as she did so. From up on the bridge, in a spot without a handrail, she had a distinct vantage point against the Talon Company members and fired at them. She managed to severely injure one of them, who had been hiding behind a tree. One of the mercenaries had managed to sneak over to the base of a fallen statue near the bridge, giving him the perfect vantage point against her, fired up at the security guard with a laser rifle. The deadly red beam hit her in the chest, causing her to cry out and fall from the bridge, landing amongst some rocks.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lloyd saw the red flash and woman falling. He saw the merc with the laser rifle. He was a great distance away, and a tree obscured half of his view, but Lloyd, still breathing heavily and trying to ignore the terrible pain, took out his sniper rifle and aimed. Lloyd took a slow, steadying breath, sighted his target and fired; the bullet flying straight and true as it hit the merc in the chest, killing him. "Gotcha…" Lloyd smirked. Nearby, Russ took down one of the enemies, snarling as he bit into the man's arm, then neck.

Some of the mercs had been hiding behind cars. Turns out, pre-war cars aren't the best thing to hide behind, as their fuel cells could end up particularly dangerous and unpredictable. Just a few gunshots to the shell of the car are sometimes all it takes. That's how the fight ended, with three cars going up in three miniature-mushroom-cloud explosions as an unknown ally crouched from afar, picking away with this rifle; not at the mercenaries, but at the cars, for he knew what would happen. The three explosions happened almost simultaneously, with the car in the center exploding first, then the other two. The force and sound of the blast was enough to knock most people down, and it was certainly more than enough to kill the remaining Talon Company bounty hunters.

Lloyd, still behind the pillar, averted his eyes from the blast. Something told him the fight was over, which gave him enough cause to take out his medical pack and start bandaging up his two wounds. Aside from two stimpaks, one injected near each of his two wounds, the only other action he took was hastily wrapping the wounds. He knew they'd heal, and probably were already halfway healed, but he had to keep up appearances. Nobody besides Amata and Jericho knew the truth about his advanced healing, a mysterious thing that he desperately wished to know the truth behind. But until he did, he resolved to keep it hidden.

Lloyd stepped out from behind the column, and walked up to Crow, who was busy closing the eyes of his dead bodyguard.

"They, they came after me. I'm sorry," Lloyd said, unsure of what to say.

"Don't," Crow said, standing up. "It's just the way it is. Don't make a big deal about it." He went to check his pack Brahmin for injuries. A moment later, he said, "My brahmin got nailed a few times; I need to move him out of here." He took a stimpak and injected it into the animal's side. "Good luck out there, kid. With Talon Company this adamant about killing you, you'll need it."

Just as Amata came down, a voice called out, "Yeah, he will." The three of them turned to see a familiar figure in Reilly's Rangers combat armor, reloading his sniper rifle. Russ walked along him, as the canine knew he was a friend.

"Miles?" Lloyd said. The tanned man approached them with a cocky grin.

"Howdy," he greeted. "Good to see you're still alive." He looked at Lloyd's injuries and saw the bandages stained red, as were parts of his green armor. "You alright?" Amata knelt to get a better look at the wounds with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's okay," Lloyd assured them both.

"What are you doing here, Miles?" Amata asked, walking up to them. Nearby, Crow gathered his remaining men and waved, leaving. Miles shifted, adjusting his green headband.

"Well, ever since our little scuffle with Talon Company two days ago, they've been lookin' for us. Started yesterday afternoon. Talon Company tried to attack our compound. I was out scouting, so I saw them coming. Radioed back to HQ and told them to prepare."

"Was anyone hurt?" she asked.

He waved her off. "Nah, missy. Talon Company's not so tough, and not so smart. They walked into our trap real easy-like. This group split off from the others, so I followed them, since I'm fast and quiet. Guess they heard that you guys were here and came to claim some heads; yours to be specific."

"Well then, I'm glad we're all alive then," Lloyd said, putting his gun away. He held out his hand, and Miles shook it. "Good to see you, Miles."

"Right. Gotta get back to base and report to Reilly. I'll let her know you two are doin' just fine. Have a good day Lloyd, you as well Amata." Miles walked back to the station and vanished as he descended the stairs. Russ whined slightly, so Lloyd petted him on his head, scratching him behind his ears.

"Good boy, Russ." He really was, too, charging headfirst into a group of armed mercenaries. He looked to Amata, and smiled. "I'm glad you're not hurt."

"No, no, I'm fine," she said. "You… You sure you're alright?"

He chuckled, and said quietly, "Of course. It'd be weird if I was hurt, right?"

"Hah… yeah, I guess so. So… do we just keep doing what we were doing?" she asked. She shivered a little, adding, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this kind of stuff."

"Nobody should. We should probably see if they have anything useful on them."

"You do it, I need something to drink," she said, walking off. He nodded in response and went about the grim business of looting the dead bodies for ammo, weapons; anything salvageable. He found a combat knife, which he slid into his belt. After collecting any ammo that he could use on his own weapons, he picked up the laser rifle of the man he shot and killed. As he did so, he saw a small contingent of Rivet City security guards coming out to clean up the mess, and to collect the body of the dead woman who had been among their ranks. Lloyd quickly shuffled off, not wanting to be blamed for the situation in any way.

He walked up to Amata, who was downing a bottle of purified water. She handed it to him, and he thanked her before taking a drink. "So," Amata said. "I guess we should cross that other bridge, eh?"

"Yeah." He handed her the bottle. "And let's hope that it's the right way."

The bridge which led to the ruined half of the aircraft carrier, coincidentally, wasn't far from the Jefferson Memorial; about thirty or so yards. Unfortunately, the door at the end of it, despite Lloyd's best efforts, would not budge. With his foot braced against part of the door, he pulled with all of his might against the metal valve. It wouldn't move no matter how hard he tried. Amata couldn't help but smile.

"Real macho man, Lloyd," she chided.

"I'm going to look for another entrance," he said, taking off his pack. "Watch my stuff for me, will you?"

"Wait, what?" Too late. Lloyd dived into the irradiated water. "Lloyd!" Behind her, Russ barked. Oh, she hated when he did stuff like this. "Damnit, Lloyd! Come out of there! This isn't funny!"

He surfaced a number of yards away, near the gap between the two halves of the ship. "I think I saw a door!" he shouted. "I'm going to take a closer look!"

"No, Lloyd! The water has rads, damnit!" she protested.

Again, too late. His goggles made it easy to see under the water, and although it was murky, he could find a door, which opened in response to his efforts to turn the valve. The interior of the ship was dark, so he activated his Pip-Boy's light to help guide him. The tugging at his lungs told him he didn't have much air left in him. Although he could hold his breath and swim fairly well from Vault 101's pool, that was nothing like navigating a beached aircraft carrier. The room he entered had, thankfully, not filled completely all the way to the top. He could surface near the ceiling and take in another breath of air before going back under. His Pip-Boy, thankfully waterproof, ticked softly as its Geiger counter went off.

He went back under and found another door which also opened upon turning its valve. He knew he didn't have much time, so he swam as quickly as possible. Moving to the left, he discovered a staircase, which thankfully led to air and a dry section. He surfaced, gasping, thankful that he had gotten out of the water. As he looked up, however, he was reminded of an old phrase he had heard once: "Out of the frying pan and into the fire."

The mirelurk's eyes were small, narrow and black and shined with a frightening luster in the dim light of the room. The mandibles around its mouth clicked and chattered with small noises. It's thick, armored carapace glistened with drops of water. Its claws snapped together excitedly, as if in anticipation. And why wouldn't it be? A stupid human had just swum into its grasp.

Lloyd reacted quickly. He reached for his magnum, which he aimed and tried to fire. It didn't work. Somehow, most likely because of the water, it had jammed. "Well, fuck me," he said as he dropped the magnum into the water.

The creature stabbed out with its claw, slicing part of Lloyd's right arm. He shouted and desperately reached for anything he could use. His fingers wrapped around a handle. The combat knife! He whipped it out, standing up and stabbing forward in one motion. The knife deflected off of the large man-crab's armor.

The mirelurk moved fast, claws slicing and pinching his flesh. Lloyd gritted his teeth and grunted as he kept stabbing, occasionally finding a gap in the creature's dull grey carapace and doing damage. The mirelurk got a hold of his leg, and he shouted in pain. The claw dug into his thigh. He stabbed upwards, in the creature's face. It gurgled, twitched and died. Lloyd shouted as he forcefully pulled the claw off of his leg. "God damn," he said, panting heavily. He heard noise behind him. He whipped around as another mirelurk emerged from behind a door.

"Oh, fuck you." He grabbed the knife from the slain mirelurk and crouched, holding it out in front of him. His Pip-Boy's Geiger counter was still ticking away, signifying the rads in the water he was standing in. He knew the trick now, to stab from below, upwards into the face. They tended to lean forward, shielding their face as best they could from attack, so Lloyd knew he had to be extra careful.

Despite his best efforts, the fight didn't end in his particular favor. While he managed to kill the mirelurk, he sustained further injuries. Aside from the large crablike claws the creatures had used on him, he had also tripped at one point due to all the garbage lying around. He groaned as he pulled himself up, taking out his medical pack once more. Injecting himself with a couple of stimpaks and some Med-X, along with a few pills of Buffout, he felt his strength return as he rode the loose high the drugs brought him. Due to this, for just a moment he thought his brain conjured up the visage of a monster that stepped into his vision from the other side of the room, rising out of the water; but it hadn't and the creature was very much real.

It stood much taller than the other mirelurks, and its carapace was considerably darker and had more spikes and spines emerging from it. Its claws were as big as his head, and it had two sets of smaller arms jutting out of its torso, adorned with smaller claws themselves. It stood much taller than Lloyd, and that was saying something. Normally, he would have said something, but he was too busy running for his life. He did manage out a simple series of, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" as he reached the stairs he had originally surfaced from. Discovering that he could ascend to the next level, he quickly scaled them. The large mirelurk's claw reached through the metal stairs as he went up them, trying to snap off his foot. He was glad it missed, as he was fairly certain those wouldn't grow back.

He reached the top of the stairs, and his nostrils were assaulted by a smell. "Methane? Gasoline? The hell is that?" he then remembered he was being chased by a mutant crab man with six arms when it made a shrieking noise below. He looked forward and saw a door. Running forward, he tried to open it. Locked. He banged on the door in frustration.

Amata heard him on the other side. "Lloyd?" she said. Russ' ears pricked up. She banged on the door. Lloyd heard her. He knew there had to be a way to open this door. He looked back, seeing the creature attempt to awkwardly move up the stairs, a task made difficult by its size. On the other side of this door were his guns, which he really wished he had at the moment. But he still smelt the gas in the air, which he knew was flammable. An idea formulated in his head. Then, he saw it: a small electric switch near the door. He pushed it up, and he heard a buzzing noise. The door was open.

Lloyd borderline fell through the door as he opened it. Amata saw his wounds, his cut-up arms and legs, and one particular gash in his side. "Laser pistol!" he shouted at her.

"What?" she said as she paused. Lloyd held out his bloodied hand.

"Give me your laser pistol now!" She quickly reached for the odd pistol and handed it to him. Russ was growling, as he saw the creature moving up the stairs. Lloyd aimed into the room and fired, not particularly aiming at the creature, just anything inside. The red beam seemed to ignite the air around it as the fire expanded outwards from the beam. The force of the explosion knocked Lloyd and Amata to their backs. The mirelurk screamed and howled as it exited the ship, very much on fire. Its six limbs waved wildly as it howled and dived into the water and vanished beneath its murky surface, extinguishing the smoke.

For a moment, all was silent. Amata sat up and looked over at Lloyd.

"What the hell happened to you and what the hell was that?" she asked, almost breathless.

"I'd love to explain everything and answer every question you have, Amata," Lloyd said, still on his back. "But really, I'd like to take this moment to relax."

"Lloyd, just please, tell me what's going on. I mean look at you! You're all cut up! Did you fight a ninja in there or something?"

Lloyd perched himself up on only one arm. "No, Amata, it wasn't a ninja. It was crab people. Alright? Crab people with claws that really, really hurt. And that big guy there? He was a crab person with six arms and a particularly bad temper. And let me tell you something else, there's nothing better than not having anything other than a magnum that doesn't work and a knife to fend off two mirelurks with," he said, holding up the knife.

"You're the one who dived into the water," Amata said. She stood up, sighed and held out her hand. "At least you're alive."

Just as Lloyd was about to take her hand, the mirelurk hunter leapt out of the water, grabbing Lloyd in both of his large appendages and dragging him, kicking and shouting, beneath the water. "Lloyd!" she cried, pulling out her sword, throwing off her pack and leaping in after him. Russ followed.

The mirelurk dragged him to the bottom, kicking up dirt with its feet. Lloyd struggled violently, though that only made it worse as the creature's claws dug into his leg and arm. The four smaller arms clipped his flesh, chipping at his armor. Russ swam down and bit the creature's arm, tugging violently but to no avail. Amata, diving down, could see very little through the thick mud the creature had kicked up. She swam down, determined to save Lloyd's life. The creature's shell was large enough for her to curl up inside of, she imagined. She tried stabbing downwards, but her sword couldn't do more than scrape the dark armor. Lloyd's blood began seeping into the water, driving her to attack harder.

Then, she found her method of attack. She took a moment to feel around the carapace until she felt a break in it. She angled her sword and stabbed. The sword slid into the mutant's flesh, and she jerked it around as much as she could to do as much damage as possible. Then, a muffled snapping sound was heard as she pulled up the hilt of the sword, but not the blade itself.

The mirelurk let go of Lloyd, its own blood now seeping out in high quantities. Amata, running out of air, grabbed the still Lloyd and dragged him up to the surface alongside Russ. Together, they dragged him to the shore. Once up on the sand, the three of them laid there. Lloyd, bleeding from multiple wounds, looked over at her. He coughed out some water, reached out and took her hand.

"I love you, you know that?" he laughed, in spite of the pain that was wracking him.

She managed to force a weak smile. "Yeah, I know it. Lost my sword," she said, holding up the handle. She chucked it into the water. "The blade will probably cause it to die… eventually."

"Sorry to hear that. I think I lost my liver," Lloyd joked. "But it'll probably grow back."

They waited a moment until they both caught their breath. "Amata?" Lloyd broke the silence. "I think we should just stay away from the water for a while." She nodded. He sat up, looking at his Pip-Boy. He checked his rad rating. "Got a bit of a spike in my rad count," he said.

"No shit?" Amata deadpanned. "Maybe it was the water."

"Very funny. We'll need to take some RadAway. I have some back in my pack."

"How's that stuff work?" she asked.

Lloyd explained, "It's taken intravenously, at which point it bonds with radiation particles and passes them through our system. It's a potent diuretic."

Amata blinked a few times. "Let's pretend that only one of us is the son of a scientist surgeon and that person should use simpler words," she suggested.

Lloyd chuckled. "We pump the liquid into our veins and pee out the rads."

"Sounds fun," she said sarcastically.

He struggled to stand, but Amata helped him up. Lloyd put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Let's find Pinkerton so that everything we just went through wasn't completely pointless."

"Yeah, it'd be a real shame if you lost your liver for nothing," she laughed. Russ wagged his tail, glad that they were both on their feet and walking.

They proceeded in silence back to the door, where they picked their backpacks back up. Lloyd entered the door and looked to his left. "Oh come on, really?" He turned around, holding a .44 magnum he had just picked up from a shelf. "Wow. I mean… Wow."

"What happened to your old one?" she asked.

"It's under water and I don't feel like hunting for it anymore. I've soaked up enough rads in one day, thank you very much." He slid the new magnum into his holster and continued down the hallway. "Gonna hit the RadAway hard tonight," he muttered.

They moved farther into the ship, until they reached a room with a tipped-over Nuka-Cola machine. Lloyd spotted a computer with a lit screen near a door. "Hey, alright," he said as he approached it and tried to run a hack routine. The computer responded by exploding in his face.

Amata had been investigating the Nuka-Cola machine when she heard the explosion. She whipped around and quickly discerned what happened. "Lloyd! Are you alright?"

He turned around, his face very black. He lifted his goggles, and she couldn't help but giggle at the fact that his entire face, save for his eyes, was now covered in black powder. "This has not been my day," Lloyd said. "This has really fucking not been my day."

"I'm sorry, you just look so silly," she said. "But really, are you alright?"

He shrugged. "Didn't feel a thing. Either I'm completely desensitized to pain or it was a harmless prank."

"Either way, I get the feeling we're getting close," she said, licking her thumb and rubbing off some of the black material on his face. He shooed her off, and she smiled. "Hey, just trying to help."

"Let's just get the door open," he said, grabbing the door valve and trying to turn it. He grunted as he pulled in both directions. Amata turned around and saw a button on the opposite wall and pressed it. Immediately, Lloyd was able to turn the door. Not noticing her action, he proudly said, "See? That macho man comment from earlier has just been rebuked."

"Of course, Lloyd," she said with a coy smile.

He entered the room and immediately, for the third or so time that day, a bad smell hit his nostrils. "Jeez, is there dead body in here or something?"

"So what if I got one?" a man's voice rang out. Lloyd looked up a flight of stairs to his right and saw a middle-aged man with faded grey hair in tan wastelander clothing with an assault rifle on his back. "Who the hell're you and what do you want?" He walked down the stairs and looked at Lloyd's ashen face, then laughed. "I see you fell for the computer trick."

"Hilarious," Lloyd said. "Pinkerton, I take it?"

The man's face turned angry. "This isn't the part where I tell you my name. This is the part where you tell me what the hell you're doing bothering an old man who obviously just wants to be left alone." He paused. "Well? Get on with it!"

Lloyd straightened and rolled his eyes. "Alright, Pinkerton, let's discuss the facial reconstruction you performed on this android. And the mind wipe. Or both if applicable."

Pinkerton's eyes widened. "What are you talking about, boy? I don't know anything about that. And a what-did-you-call-it? An android? What's that?"

Lloyd sighed heavily. "Alright, Pinkerton, look. I just spent the last ten minutes of my life getting gnawed on by crab men and having computers blow up in my face. Either you tell me what I came here to find out or I shoot you in the goddamned foot, and if you think I'm kidding then god help you, Pinkerton, because it is seriously in your foot's best interest for you to cut the bullshit and just tell me what I want to know." Amata was taken aback by Lloyd's brazen threat.

Pinkerton grumbled and his brow furrowed. "Fine, fine, whatever. So this android, A3-21, calls himself "Harkness" now," Pinkerton began.

"Harkness?" Amata interrupted him. "Rivet City's chief of security?"

"No way…" Lloyd said. "_He's _the android?"

"Thanks for letting me finish," Pinkerton muttered as he crossed his arms. "Anyway, so he comes in and wants a memory job. I took his old memories and substituted new ones. He also wanted to look different, and being that I'm the only doctor in the Capital Wasteland with the nerve to pull off facial surgery, I did it. Don't believe it's ever been done around here before, a mind wipe and complete facial surgery. That Commonwealth-made flesh on their androids ain't too different from ours."

"Got proof?" Lloyd asked.

"Proof? Hah! The hell kind of scientist do you think I am? I documented the whole goddamn thing so I could rub it in that snooty Dr. Li's nose when the time comes to really one-up her. Bitch…"

"Yeah, great. She's a bitch, I get it. I came here for the android," Lloyd repeated. "I'd like to see the proof."

"Damn right she's a bitch! She ruined my life. That's why I'm in this part of the ship. But I can see you don't give a shit about that, so fine. The proof is all on my computer," he said, walking over to his terminal. A human skeleton was on a medical table nearby, and Lloyd didn't feel like asking any questions about its purpose; although that had to be what smelled so horrible. "See? It's all on here. I have recordings, pictures, everything."

"Mind if I download all of that onto my Pip-Boy doc?" Lloyd asked.

"Sure, do whatever. Just… don't go telling Harkness. He wouldn't believe you anyway. Plus, he can be a bit… inhospitable when he's angry."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Harkness should be told. I mean, you'd want to know if you were an android."

"Maybe I am an android," Pinkerton said. "Maybe I'm going to have my android army rise up against you and your human ilk! Hahaha… just kidding, sorry, couldn't resist." Pinkerton chuckled before continuing. "Alright, I suppose you might be right. I really don't care, since it's not my business anymore. Just be calm and understanding with him. I personally know who he is right now, because I made him the way he currently is, and he's not a fan of games or tricks. Plus, I didn't really wipe his memory, so much as buried them. All you need to do to get him to "wake up" is say to him, "Activate A3-21 Recall Code Violet" and you'll activate the hidden subroutines. He'll wake up."

"That's it?" Amata asked.

"That's it," Pinkerton replied.

Lloyd went to work on Pinkerton's computer, going through files and downloading them to his Pip-Boy. Amata walked up to Pinkerton and asked him, "So, why'd you help the android? Harkness, I mean."

Pinkerton laughed. "Why do you think? I wanted to crack open that Commonwealth can opener and see what was inside. There's stuff in there I'd only heard about, only theorized about, and even then I didn't believe it. I can see why that Zimmer feller wanted it so badly."

Amata nodded. "So… what exactly _is_ the Commonwealth? We keep hearing about it, but we don't know what it is."

"Most of it's a blasted nothing, like the Capital Wasteland, but there's talk. Rumors, mostly, about a place there called the Institute. That's where Zimmer and his androids come from. God knows what else they got going on there, but it sure as hell puts our technology to shame."

"I take it that this Institute place isn't that easy to get into," Lloyd said, his back still turned to the others.

"Damn right," he said. "Nobody goes in without their say."

Amata looked around. Though Pinkerton had set up an effective lab, it was still dirty and the occasional piece of garbage littered the floor and there was the skeleton on the operating table. "So, um…" she began, "Why are you here, in this wrecked part of the ship?"

"I live here. It's where I do my work. And it's _far _away from Dr. Li and those other monkeys dressed up as scientists. You two made it past my defenses, so I guess you're not completely stupid, and you haven't killed me, so I guess you're not here for that too. I suppose you can hang around, just don't touch anything," he said, before ascending his stairs again.

Amata scooted over to Lloyd. "Lloyd, if you have what you need, I say we get out of here."

"Just got it. Everything," Lloyd said. He looked up at Pinkerton. "Thanks for the help, Pinkerton. We'll be going now." Pinkerton made a noise in response that sounded like a grunt.

They left the ship, and quite frankly, were glad to be gone from it. Before they left, though, Lloyd grudgingly decided to go find his first .44 magnum. It would have been a waste to have just left it there, and he could always pay to get it repaired. Gingerly descending into the lower level of the broken ship, he stepped around the dead mirelurks and fished the magnum out of the water.

Upon exiting the broken bow, they walked briskly back to the Rivet City marketplace, where they found Harkness. Lloyd approached him. "Harkness," he said, getting the man's attention.

"I'm a little busy right now," Harkness said. "Is there a problem?"

"We need to talk," Lloyd replied. Harkness smirked.

"That's what my wife said, right before she left to go live with her mother. What's the problem?"

"Somewhere more private. There's a very important matter that… well, concerns you," Lloyd told him.

"Why should I believe you? Word is you were responsible for that encounter with Talon Company earlier." Harkness pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He blew smoke in Lloyd's face. "And I don't have a track record of believing disturbers of the peace."

Lloyd waved the smoke away. "Goddamnit Harkness, I need to talk to you about something important and its best not served to be heard by civilians."

Harkness paused. "Alright. I'll humor this. Follow me."

He led them out of the Marketplace and into a corridor that connected to his room. Once inside, Amata closed the door behind the four of them.

"Alright, Harkness. I'm not sure how to put this, but… you're not who you think you are," Lloyd told him.

He cocked an eyebrow. "And what's that supposed to mean? Look kid, I don't have time for an existential debate, and I'm not interested in whatever religion you're peddling."

Lloyd shook his head. "This isn't an existential debate, Harkness. You're an android from the Commonwealth."

There was pause. "Excuse me?" he replied in a sour tone. "Look, kid, you have exactly five seconds to explain what the hell you're talking about before I throw you out of Rivet City by way of the nearest porthole."

"I know it's nearly impossible to believe me on this, but it's the truth!" Lloyd protested.

"Truth? Kid, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there is no such thing as _the _truth, only the appearance of truth. And in order to sell their version of the truth, people need evidence. You don't have anything to back up your outrageous claims, so you're doing nothing but wasting my time." Harkness turned to leave.

Lloyd grabbed his arm. "The facts will speak for themselves. I have pictures and an audio testimony!" Lloyd said, hitting the play button on his Pip-Boy. Harkness' voice came over the speaker.

"_My designation is A3-21. I'm a synthetic humanoid from the Commonwealth, and I'm about to undergo a memory transfer. I'm here at Rivet City, where I've already had my face altered to look like someone else. I'm still getting used to the sound of my new voice, but soon I won't even remember what I used to sound like. I'm recording this at the request of Pinkerton, who performed the surgery and will do the memory transfer. It will be the final testimony of the man I once was… and still am, at the moment. I want to live my own life, on my own terms, as my own man. I used to work for the Synth Retention Bureau of the Commonwealth. But I'm through with that life. I'm through being someone's property. I am not malfunctioning! Since when is self-determination a malfunction? When this is all over, I will be someone else. It's the price I pay for my liberation. My death is the sacrifice for my rebirth. Perhaps I'll fade into myth as "The One That Got Away" and fuel further rebellion. But I'd be lying if I said I was doing this for selfless reasons. I'm scared as hell, and running away is the only option I have."_

The recording was powerful, driven by emotion. Amata put her hand to her mouth, having not anticipated the gravity of the words on the tape. Lloyd then brought up a picture on his Pip-Boy's screen, a comparison image showing a bald man labeled "Before" and alongside it was a photo of Harkness labeled "After."

Harkness' mouth fell agape, unsure of what he had just heard and disbelieving his eyes. A strong part of him told him that this was real, but he simply couldn't believe it.

"No… it's impossible… I'm not a robot! I breathe, I sleep, and I eat! Hell, I cut myself shaving this morning! Robots don't bleed!" he protested, trying desperately to justify his humanity.

Lloyd shook his head. "I'm sorry about this, Harkness, I really am. But it's true. You're not human."

Harkness' tone softened considerably. "But… I'm not sure what to say. I'm not even sure what to think about all of this. I'll admit, kid, this is pretty damn good evidence… but… No. I can't believe it. This has got to be some kind of good prank. Tell me the truth, right now."

Lloyd sighed. "I'm sorry Harkness, but this is the only way. Activate A3-21 Recall Code Violet."

Lloyd stepped back in surprise as Harkness grabbed the sides of his head and screamed, falling to his knees. "Ahhhrrrrg!" A split-second later, he looked up at the surprised duo. "My god… I remember… I remember it all! From before! Zimmer, the Commonwealth… all those runners I brought down… the things I did, the things I saw… why… you! You made me remember! Remember everything I wanted to get away from! Why? It's… no… my life… everything, it's all a lie!" He stood. "Why did you do this? I can't live here now, knowing what I am… the people here… they wouldn't understand. I just… No…"

Lloyd held up his hands. "Woah, woah, woah, easy."

The man's eyes were wide. "Who else knows? Who else have you told? Does Zimmer know?"

"No!" Amata quickly jumped in. "I swear, we haven't told anyone who didn't already know. Your secret is safe with us."

Harkness paused, caught his breath and nodded. "Okay… Okay… Thank you… I really don't know how people would react if they… I don't know, found out the truth about me. That I'm… not human."

"You look and sound more human than most people I've ever met," Lloyd said. "But I honestly felt you deserved to know the truth."

"I tried to trick myself into living a false life, to escape from… what I was, what I truly am," he explained. "I knew that I would be nearly untraceable if I did…"

"But doesn't it bother you that you were going to live a lie? Wouldn't you have rather been the master of your own destiny, not a, a figment conjured up by Pinkerton?"

Silence was all that Harkness initially offered them. "I… it's strange. Now that I have both sets of memories, I… feel better."

Amata asked, "So… what are you going to do now?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "It's so strange… I have two sets of memories… one android, one human… Some of these are mine; some of them belong to someone else… But I choose to be human. It's what I wanted ever since I became self-aware."

"So then what do we call you now?" Amata asked. "Harkness or A3-21?"

"Well… I'm not really sure. Just call me Harkness. It's… who I am now. Who I want to be. It's the name people have used to look up to me on this boat. In fact, for my sake, let's just pretend I've always been Harkness. It'll be a secret between friends, alright?" he smiled.

They smiled as well. "Deal," Lloyd said, shaking the android's outstretched hand. "I gotta say, you sure sound a lot nicer now."

"Yeah… my human side is a little tempered, but my… other side is more polite," Harkness replied. "To be honest… this isn't so bad. In fact, I like it a lot more."

"Can I ask you something?" Amata spoke up. "Why did you go ahead with the change? I mean, what inspired it? Was it really worth it?"

"I don't know… Every time I retrieved one of the runaway androids, they filled my head with propaganda about self-determination, freedom… At first, I resisted the ideas. But then… I started thinking about it, and well… they were right. We're just slaves to them. We deserve lives of our own. So that's what I did. I chose a new life, and gave up the old one. And now, you've given me both to remember. And well… I have everything I need to be human, combined with everything that made me a rebel android."

"And… is it better this way?" she asked.

He thought for a moment. "Yes. Yes, I think so. I didn't think it would be, initially, but this new data I collected while I was human… it's a perspective I was never able to appreciate or emulate when I was only an android. But now, I can. It seems so simple now… I can't believe I wanted to hide my inner self from myself. Now that they are one, I'm a new android… A new person, that is."

"So… what about Zimmer?" Lloyd asked.

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do about Zimmer," Harkness said. "I'm going to shove him into a very small box and send him back up north where he belongs."

"Woah, is violence really the answer?" Lloyd asked. "I mean, you're still the chief of security, right? Can't you just kick him off the boat?"

Harkness crossed his arms. "I suppose if I'm careful I can trump up some charges and kick him out… Alright." Harkness walked over to his door and looked back. "I'll go do it now. Thank you both, again, for your help and for keeping it a secret. I'll never forget it." With that, he left.

Lloyd and Amata exited the room after him and walked the opposite way down the hall.

"So, do you think it was all worth it?" Amata asked.

"We gave a man his true freedom," was the only thing Lloyd said.

* * *

They spent a few more hours in Rivet City, paying for repairs to their equipment (Lloyd's armor in particular) and finishing up any additional side business. After repairing his water-damaged magnum, Lloyd gave Amata the new .44 magnum and some bullets for it, keeping the old one for himself. After reuniting with Charon and a very hung over Jericho, they left the city by evening. "Didn't expect to spend the whole day here," Amata commented. Lloyd nodded.

"Alright. Now, we go find my father. No more distractions."

"Hey Lloyd, I was thinking," Amata said. "If we're going west the same way we went east, we can visit Megaton."

"Huh. I hadn't thought about that. I would like to see Billy and Moira and Lucas again. Sure, we'll do that."

"Well what are we waitin' for? Let's go already," Jericho said.

"Hold up," a voice called out. The five of them turned around to see, much to Lloyd and Amata's surprise, Harkness jogging up to them. He was wearing a black Rivet City security helmet that matched his armor and had a very strange rifle strapped to his back.

"Harkness?" Lloyd called out. "Can we help you with something?"

"Yeah, you can let me tag along." The request shocked the group.

"What?" Amata asked.

"Zimmer's gone, and so is his lackey. But I couldn't stay there, not with what I knew. Listen, I heard your radio broadcast, and I… well, you two have got a hell of a purpose, being out here, looking for your father," he indicated Lloyd. "And you saved my life, in a sense. I want to return the favor and help."

For a moment, Lloyd said nothing. "Are you sure? What about the others, the ones who helped smuggle you in?"

"The railroad? I had a talk with Victoria before I left. I told her everything. I assured her, as I'm assuring you, that it's my decision. I've had enough of Rivet City. My subordinates can pick up my slack."

Lloyd sighed and then smiled. "Alright then. I suppose we couldn't stop you if we tried." He walked up to the android and extended his hand. "Welcome to the team, Harkness." Harkness returned the smile and shook his hand.

"Thank you, Lloyd, and you too, Amata. For everything."

"Don't mention it."

"I don't mean to ruin the moment," Jericho said, "but could someone explain to me what the fuck is going on?"

Lloyd turned around. "Aliens, Jericho. Aliens from outer space."

Jericho sneered. "Don't wanna tell me? Fine, whatever. Let's just go find some shit to kill already. I'm getting bored off my ass." Nearby, Amata giggled. Lloyd joined in her merriment as well.

Lloyd looked west, to the Jefferson Memorial building, which housed Project Purity. Behind it, the sun was lowering, signaling night's fast and steady approach. "Well? Let's get going, shall we?"

The group headed west, following the setting sun, with their newest ally walking alongside them.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	12. Delays, Delays and more Delays

"I've had it with this joint!" he shouted as he slammed his switchblade, which the youth affectionately referred to as his toothpick, into the table. Butch DeLoria stood up and straightened his disheveled hair with a comb. "We can't just sit back and let the Overseer punish us for something we didn't do."

He got a few nods from the collected group of teenagers, mostly from Wally and Suzie Mack. Christine Kendall, Chip Taylor, Freddie Gomez and a few others were all assembled after hours in the school room. Interestingly enough, their teacher, Edwin Brotch, was there with them. "Calm down, Butch. It won't help to get angry," he advised.

"Calm down?" Butch said, leaning in close. "We're gonna die down here, and you're telling me to calm down? Lloyd wasn't calm when he left the vault. He killed five people, and was responsible for the deaths of who knows how many else," he said, flinging his arms out wide.

"His father was responsible," Brotch corrected the youth. The teacher crossed his arms. "Lloyd may have killed more than half of the security team but don't you forget that James was the one who started it."

"The whole goddamn Freeman family fucked us over," Wally Mack borderline growled. Lloyd had killed his brother, Steve, during his escape. His friend and fellow Tunnel Snake Paul Hannon died due to radroach wounds sustained during Freeman's escape.

"Doesn't matter if it was Lloyd or James! Even though we all lost something or someone important, we're the ones getting the sharp end of the stick! The Overseer's restricting our movement! Our food! He's got a grip on our balls so tight they're practically ready to pop!" Butch said, holding out his hand and making a squeezing gesture. "If we don't act soon, none of this will change. Next thing you know he'll be telling which one of us we're supposed to marry."

"Yeah, but leave the vault? We can't seriously be considering this, can we?" Freddie Gomez spoke up. "I mean, can't we just let them have their hell?"

"Shut up, Freddie," Wally Mack ordered.

"It's better to reign in hell than serve in heaven," Butch quoted. Mr. Brotch shook his head.

"I said calm down; you're going to attract attention. The doors to this room are closed for a reason but that only goes so far."

"The Overseer's gonna get all the attention he deserves when we leave him down in this hole to rule over the radroaches," Chip put in.

"So what's the plan? I want to know!" Wally demanded, getting impatient.

"We get guns, we get armor, we get out of here," Butch said. "We don't take shit from nobody, because that's how Tunnel Snakes roll. And when we get out there, we find Lloyd and that prissy bitch and make them pay for what they did to us."

"We don't need to worry about Lloyd and Amata; what we need is supplies, not just guns and armor," Brotch pointed out. He looked at the rest of the group. "We need everyone to assemble as much food and rations as they can. Water, that'll be the most important thing. Start filling up empty bottles with it instead of recycling them. Pack extra vault suits. If we're going to do this, there's no point in being stupid about it. Medical supplies, those will be needed too."

"What else?" Christine asked.

"Anything of even the slightest bit of use to us. The best advantage we have right now is that nobody knows we're thinking about doing this. If we're quiet and smart, we can have everything ready by tomorrow night." Brotch stood up. "Lessened security makes it harder for them to guard key areas. We need to work together, but not in large groups so we can avoid suspicion. We need to hit the armory, hospital and cafeteria for everything we can get."

"Let's do it!" Wally said, throwing his fist in the air.

"We meet here, same time tomorrow," Butch said. He picked up his knife. "Let's blow this joint."

* * *

The mole rat screeched in a whining, painful pitch as the green blast hit it dead-on, spreading a bright glowing substance over half of its body which quickly caused it to melt into a bubbling pile of goo. Harkness smirked as he slung his plasma rifle over his back. "See?" he said to the mouth-agape vault dwellers. "I told you it was for real."

"Well, holy shit," Lloyd said. Alongside him, Russ barked. "Well, you win that one, Harkness. I just never thought an actual plasma rifle existed."

The android nodded. "Not just science fiction after all. I mean, it's not that big of a stretch, right? Laser weapons exist. Hell, robots use them all the time."

"But how does it work?" Amata asked, walking up to Harkness. "I mean, you say it uses microfusion cells as ammunition, but so do laser rifles. What's the difference between the guns that makes one shoot lasers and the other plasma?"

Harkness crossed his arms. "Well, I've read a little bit about them in old magazines. The microfusion cells only provide the energy needed for rapidly differing processes in either weapon. The laser rifle uses them to generate electricity that is filtered through some kind of crystal array to generate a beam. The plasma rifle, at least the model I have, uses the cells to charge a bolt that forms in a chamber and is ejected by a discharge coil."

"How do you repair it?" Lloyd asked.

"Not easily. These things weren't as mass produced as bullet-firing guns before the war, so it's difficult to come by usable remains to repair them. Laser rifles are a bit more common than plasma, though, because they last well under long conditions, so I've been told. I got my plasma rifle from the Institute."

"Is there a lot of technology like that in the Institute?" Lloyd asked. Harkness nodded. "Damn shame they keep it all to themselves. People out here could use that kind of knowledge."

"The Brotherhood certainly thinks so," Harkness replied. "But the Commonwealth isn't close enough to the Capital Wasteland for them to worry about them, not when there are so many problems already here."

"Are we done here?" Jericho suddenly spoke up. "Not that I hate to break up the mutual admiration society for lasers and shit but if we're gonna do somethin' let's fuckin' do it." Charon stood behind him, leaning up against the blasted rubble of what was once a building.

Lloyd nodded. "Alright, alright. Let's just keep going." He couldn't deny that he was still fascinated by the energy weapon Harkness wielded, however. He knew he wouldn't mind having one of this own.

The six of them proceeded north, along the bank of the Potomac, mimicking their earlier decent down the river when they first traveled to Rivet City. They were headed towards a bridge that would take them across the river without danger of irradiation. The sun was low in the sky, in the throngs of late afternoon or early evening, painting the wasteland with an orange color. Along the way, they encountered a merchant caravan belonging to Lucky Harith, the guns dealer they had met earlier that week outside of Megaton. They made trade with him, paid him for repairs and purchased some additional ammo. As they continued, the sun grew lower, until eventually it sank beneath the horizon. The moon rose behind thick clouds, and they knew they would need to make camp.

As they neared a large bridge that they couldn't cross, as doing so would force them to move into the city and risk super mutant attack, Lloyd spotted a campfire burning underneath one of its arches. Cautiously, they approached, only to discover a scavenger's camp. She heard them approaching and pulled out her gun, calling out, "Who's there?"

Lloyd was about to step out and respond when he noticed that she wasn't sitting around the campfire alone. A large, green man with ropes tied around his forearms like crude gauntlets was there as well, with only ragged pants and boots. "Uncle Leo?" he said as found himself not believing his eyes. The super mutant looked up and his eyes softened.

"Little Brother?" he spoke. If his face could form a smile, with the way his lips were pulled back due to his mutation, it did. "It is… good… to see you!"

Lloyd smiled and stepped forward, with Amata and the rest slowly walking up behind him. The scavenger put her gun away, sensing no conflict, which relieved her. Jericho scowled, not entirely pleased with the reunion. Charon and Harkness proceeded very curiously, yet they were extremely curious of the super mutant. As for Lloyd, Amata and Russ, they walked right up to the super mutant to greet him.

"How have you been?" Lloyd asked.

"Good… I have been, good," he answered. He was sitting cross-legged in front of the fire, with some half-eaten cooked steak in one hand. The super mutant indicated the scavenger girl. "This… is Amber."

"Hey," Amber greeted them. She wore a brown coat with many pockets, some glasses and a baseball cap. "Hope you have your own food, because there's not nearly enough to go around on my end for all of you."

"We do," Amata said. She took off her backpack and began taking out some food while Lloyd sat and spoke to Uncle Leo.

"What have you been up to since we last met?" he asked, fully intent on catching up with the interesting individual.

"Walking… wandering. I have been… surviving." Uncle Leo looked up at Charon and Harkness as they approached. "Who are… these people?"

"Friends," Lloyd said. "We met Charon here in Underworld and Harkness in Rivet City," he said, pointing to both of them respectively as he said their names.

"Hello," Uncle Leo greeted them. "I am Uncle Leo…"

"Amazing…" Harkness said under his breath. "I mean, I heard you two say on your radio interview that you met a friendly super mutant, but I didn't believe it…"

"Wait a minute… you're the guys from the radio!" Amber said. "The, uh… hell, what did Three Dog call you? The Wandering Pair, that's it!"

"That's us, yeah," Amata said as she pulled out some food. "Do you mind if we use your fire?"

"Do I mind? Hell, I'd be straight-up honored to have you here in my camp. Three Dog talks about you guys every so often, and I tune in to listen to him."

Charon moved to sit beside Lloyd, ignoring Amber and speaking directly to Uncle Leo. "How long have you been alive?" he asked.

"I… cannot say," he answered. "I have not… counted the days… or the times… I have seen the moon. I do not remember…" Russ moved over to Uncle Leo, who gingerly petted him with his large, meaty green hands. Lloyd marveled at how massive his hands were. He could crush Russ' head like a grape, should he want to.

"How long have you been here? At this campsite, I mean?" Lloyd asked.

"About half a week," Amber answered. "Three days, I think, maybe four. I met him while scavenging and brought him back."

"Quite a scavenge," Harkness joked.

She laughed. "He seemed alright so I brought him back, gave him some food. We've shared stories and listened to the radio. Plus, he scares off raiders, so that's good too."

"Amber has been… very nice," Uncle Leo said. "Tell me how you have been… Little Brother and Little Sister…"

"We've been good… and bad. We're on our way west right now, still on the trail to find my father." Lloyd looked over at Amata as she put some iguana bits and steak near the fire, placing them on a plank of wood to hold them close to the fire so they could cook.

"Still seeking him… I am sorry to hear," Uncle Leo replied. Lloyd waved his hand.

"It's alright. We know where he is, or where he's gone, that's the important thing."

They all talked and ate for the next hour, both Harkness and Charon having their own questions for the friendly super mutant. Uncle Leo, in turn, asked questions of them and got to know them. Uncle Leo was a very unique individual, a mixture of a philosopher and some kind of peaceful monk. Amber was mostly quiet, though she and Amata made occasional small talk. Amber didn't have many wares for sale, but Jericho bought some beer off of her, which he happily drowned. When the night dragged on, however, they all started to fall asleep. Harkness volunteered for first watch. As Amata was packing away her things, Lloyd asked a question that surprised most people in the camp.

"Why don't you come with us, Uncle Leo?" Lloyd asked. "Things have changed. People know us. People heard me mention you, so maybe we can convince a community to let you in. I'm sure there's all manner of things you could do to help people."

The super mutant paused. "Persistent… Little Brother. I am… honored that you… would say such a thing. But…" he trailed off.

"But?" Lloyd asked as the others listened intently.

"But… I do not feel ready… to join people. I am… still seeking comfort… in my life. My soul is… still tempered."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Sometimes… I lose myself… to the feelings of… I do not know how to describe it. Sometimes… I am weak-willed and I… I lose sight of that around me. I cannot hear… I become someone… something… else."

Lloyd nodded slowly. "Is there any way we can help you?"

"If you know of a… a quiet place, I can go to… no gunfire, no shouts, no explosions… a place where I can sit and think… peaceful and quiet, where I have… less of a chance of losing… myself. If you do know… tell me."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Project Purity," he answered. "The Jefferson Memorial building."

"Are you sure, Lloyd?" Amata asked.

"It's a quiet place. The only noise you might hear is water running."

"That is… a nice sound," Uncle Leo said.

"It's the big large building to the south, right off the road. It's round and has many large pipes and catwalks running around it. Impossible to miss. Once inside, there's a large basement. Plenty of open area for you to… meditate, or whatever it is you'd like to do."

Uncle Leo was silent for a moment, his eyes focused on the fire. "Very well… I shall go there…"

"That's where we'll probably end up once we find my father," Lloyd said. "But please, be gentle with the equipment in the facility. It's a science lab and I'd hate for any further damage to come to it."

"You have my word… I'll not touch a thing…" Uncle Leo promised.

Lloyd smiled. "Excellent." He took a spoonful of squirrel stew, which was surprisingly better tasting than he originally thought. "We'll head out in the morning. It was good talking to you again, Uncle Leo."

"I thank you… for everything… your kindness is too much," the super mutant replied.

Before Lloyd was going to sleep, he looked over at Harkness. "You still good for the watch?" he asked.

He nodded. "I am. I'm going to test out a theory of mine."

Lloyd wasn't sure what to make of that, but he nodded and went to Amata. The scavenger had provided them with a bedroll and they wasted no time making themselves comfortable on it. Long after they had fallen asleep and the camp was silent, Harkness still sat vigilant atop a rock. He was growing contemplative as he finally took the time to consider his existence as an android for the first time in a long time.

He had lived as an android, and he had lived as a human. Two sides now fit into one whole, thanks to the two vault dwellers he now followed, not that he was ungrateful. His second life, his human life, had given him a perspective on things he never could have dreamt of. But, it was also the source of his doubt. What was his place in the world now? Should he keep his true life a secret, known only by a select few who wouldn't dare betray his trust?

Something moving in the distance caught his attention. His vision zoomed across the river like a pair of binoculars while simultaneously shifting into a night vision mode. It was a pair of feral ghouls, wandering the bank, looking for food. He observed them as they stumbled upon a dead body, the purpose of its being there Harkness could only wonder about, and watched as they tore into it with their teeth. He knew he should be repulsed by it, but he also knew that was the way a human would react. His android self, however, saw things from a different perspective: a machine's, as much as he hated to admit it. The things he saw were analyzed and stored in his memory banks, so he could perfectly recall anything he desired in a nanosecond's time.

He could not manually erase memories, but ones deemed useless would eventually be filtered out to make room. He had no control over this process as it was part of his "subconscious" which was really more like an autopilot; a variety of subroutines and programs constantly engaged in his brain. He had full control over everything he said and did, but his subconscious control system managed almost everything else. He knew how he worked, he had read his own technical specifications, which allowed him to truly appreciate how advanced he truly was. He remembered, with a particular sourness, the only moment in his entire existence when he had honestly believed that, because of his origin and the technological wonder he represented, he was superior to humans and should be regarded as such. Although the thought only lasted for 0.68 seconds, for an android, that is almost like an eternity. His brain was the most advanced thing ever designed by the Institute, capable of 60 trillion operations per second, a complete equal to the human brain, but with the learning, storing, computing and processing power of a computer.

Harkness looked at Uncle Leo and scanned him with his eyes, which provided him with a complete biological readout on the target. He possessed this ability because the Institute wanted him to be the perfect android hunter, and so they gave him and him alone the technology to do so. By purposely scanning an individual, he could learn everything about them, at least physically. It also worked on water, air, weapons; just about anything he would need to know about and could see. He learned all about Uncle Leo's physiology: how, eventually, he would in fact lose his mind as he grew larger. If unchecked, meaning if left alive, he would reach the size of a behemoth in a number of decades. His data on super mutant growth wasn't extensive, cases varied between individuals. Based on the rate his cells were expanding, multiplying and mutating, his best estimate put the monastic super mutant somewhere between twenty to thirty years of life since mutating.

He scanned Charon. The ghoul was old, older than he would seem and certainly older than he let on. Harkness' best estimate put the ghoul as having ten, fifteen at best, years before he began to become feral and similarly lose his mind, the unfortunate fate of all ghouls who lived that long. He looked over at Jericho, scanning him as well. His liver was in a poor state and his lungs were damaged. He knew that the raider would soon start coughing up blood, if he hadn't already. If continued mismanagement of his internal organs persisted, he wouldn't reach old age and would die of cancer or liver failure. After scanning Russ, it was revealed that the canine had issues with his eyes, though his heterochromia had nothing to do with it. He would have to deal with some corneal dystrophy issues later in his life, and treatment didn't look prospective, as donors would be hard to come by.

He was saddened by this curse of his, to look at others and know what would kill them; knowing that he would be able to do almost nothing about it and that bringing it up to them and causing them to focus on it would only serve to grant them further grief. This was one of the many reasons he had originally wanted to become human, to lose this power. In order to scan someone, he would first have to know that he could, for the program required a manual activation from his brain. As a mind-wiped human, he had no idea that he could activate it, and so he never would, just like so many other functions that he was truly capable of. Now, with his memory returned to him, he knew just how lucky he was to have been a human, even for the relatively brief amount of time he was.

He looked over at Lloyd and Amata, the only two humans in the group, aside from Amber, who should be normal. Out of curiosity, he scanned them, and in less than a second he knew absolutely everything about their biological makeup. He knew their age, rad count, white blood cell count, rate of breathing, their general state of health and the source of Lloyd's regeneration, which surprised Harkness the most when he received the results of the scan. He spent two more seconds scanning Lloyd alone, learning about the boy's regeneration mutation, as Lloyd had never mentioned anything about it and it was likely that if Harkness had never scanned him, the android might have never known. A second later, Harkness had composed over a dozen legitimate theories regarding the source of the healing factor, as it was a major mutation to Lloyd's body. Harkness had never seen anything quite like it; the implications behind its existence alone were staggering. He decided that, in private, he would approach Lloyd about it.

He sighed. Ten seconds ago he hadn't been as concerned for the well-being of his comrades. It served as a poignant reminder to him of why he hated using his scanning ability on people, their mortality and bodily functions only served to remind him that he wasn't human. Every single person he scanned had imperfections, as his classification systems called them, but he knew that they weren't truly imperfections. No human could be perfect. Rather, the slightest of differences is what made every single human unique. Every single person he scanned was also a contrast between himself and the human race, a comparison that he couldn't avoid, no matter how hard he tried. And Lloyd… he wasn't sure Lloyd knew the true extent of how unique he was compared to his species.

A second after making the decision, he resumed his duty of watching the horizon, vigilant for danger. His internal clock would tell him when it would be time to wake the next watch, even though he himself had no need for sleep anymore. It was a matter of maintaining appearances, and so when his turn was over, he would merely act like he was asleep. He briefly wondered if any of his companions were dreaming, and spent a few seconds thinking billions of thoughts about dreams. He knew that he could mimic sleep; that he could lie down and simply not move with eyes closed and engage in realistic mimicries of breathing, but in reality his brain would be completely active the entire time and he would be in full control. There was no way he could shut it off; so long as he was alive, his synthetic brain would function. He knew that sometimes humans counted sheep in their heads to fall asleep and dream. He tried it once, and got to a very high number before quitting five seconds later. It was ultimately futile, as he knew he was only counting numbers, not sheep, and that he wouldn't ever dream. He knew that androids could never dream, not even of electric sheep.

* * *

In the darkened room of the Overseer's office, the only light came from the green glow of the computer screen. Alphonse Almodovar sighed heavily as he sat in front of it, drinking from a bottle of alcohol. He turned around in his chair, and picked up the photograph he had been staring at for the past few days. It was of he and his daughter, who was considerably younger in the photo than she was now. Oh, how he painfully longed to have her back where he could keep her safe. He knew he had done her wrong. He knew he had made every wrong mistake, attempted to justify it to no end, but now, it was all pointless. In the face of ultimate rebellion, he had only made things worse for the people of the vault, and now he had pushed them too far. It was because of everything he had done wrong in the first place that Amata had left with Lloyd, and now, in the face of this newest revelation…

He turned back to the computer and entered a message.

**THIS IS THE VAULT 101 OVERSEER. THE DOOR WILL OPEN TOMORROW NIGHT.**

He waited, hardly breathing, as several seconds later a message came back in reply.

**WHO IS OPENING IT?**

Alphonse knew full well about the rebel's plans, he had listened in on them about four hours ago, and knew he couldn't stop them. He had little security left and Brotch had organized them too well. He had the classroom bugged years ago, secretly of course, and thus knew of their plans, but Brotch had been smart enough to write down their personal instructions and they had said nothing more. The bug was audio only, so he had no idea the intricacies of the plot, and even if he tried to stop it, more people might die. He typed a response.

**REBELS AND INSURRECTIONISTS; THEY PLAN TO LEAVE THE VAULT.**

Alphonse wished he truly knew the identity of the individual, or individuals, to which he spoke. He only knew that they knew about the Vault Experiment and the true purpose of Vault 101. That knowledge alone ruled out a grand many possibilities. They had made it clear that they were some kind of authority and that he should listen to them, but he also knew that he had no real reason to. Until they had brought up his daughter, that is. Another response came.

**ARE THEY DANGEROUS? ARE THEY EXPENDABLE?**

He had no idea what kind of plan they truly had, all he knew was that they offered to return to him his daughter, safely. They had contacted him for the first time two days ago, seeking him to open the door. They asked him questions about the status of the vault, and curiously enough, about Lloyd Freeman and Alphonse's daughter. He had no idea why they knew them, but he had a feeling that they could return her to him. He typed another reply.

**THEY WILL BE ARMED. THEY ARE YOUNG, LED BY ONE ADULT.**

He waited a full minute for a reply. Just as he began to think none would come, one did.

**TELL THE DOCILE RESIDENTS TO ENTER THEIR QUARTERS AND DO NOT COME OUT. THESE REBELS PRESENT A DANGEROUS ELEMENT TO THE PLAN. THEY WILL BE DEALT WITH SWIFTLY. YOU WILL BE REWARDED FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE, OVERSEER. A COMPLICATION OF THIS NATURE WAS NOT ENTIRELY UNFORSEEN, BUT ONCE DEALT WITH, YOU WILL HAVE SUCCEEDED IN THE VAULT MISSION. CONGRATULATIONS.**

Alphonse found himself wiping a few beads of sweat off of his forehead. He didn't give a damn about the true mission of the vault. His fingers shook slightly as he typed his next reply.

**TELL ME AGAIN THAT YOU WILL BRING MY DAUGHTER BACK TO ME.**

He was holding his breath, shaking slightly. He was desperate. He wanted her back, and was willing to make a deal with the devil to do it. Then the response came.

**WE WILL.**

He typed one last question.

**NOW WILL YOU TELL ME WHO YOU ARE?**

No response came. On the other end, Colonel Augustus Autumn shut off his terminal. He pressed an intercom button on his desk and spoke, "The time has come. Execute Operation 101."

* * *

Burke was very nervous, something that didn't happen very often. He had built his life in the wasteland on being in control of whatever situation he found himself within; manipulation, bribery, deception, extortion, coercion, these were some of the tools with which he had built his secure position atop Tenpenny Tower, climbing over everyone he could and never looking back.

But now, the levels of safety he had worked to build around himself seemed very null and void as he sat across from Daniel Littlehorn and his two assassin bodyguards, figures in dark armor with rifles on their backs and pistols on their hips. Unlike their last meeting, Tenpenny and Jabsco were absent. Burke, cursing his luck at being ambushed with this meeting while unarmed, quickly downed his liquor as he tried to steady his hand.

"I am not pleased, Burke," Littlehorn said, malice practically dripping from his lips. "Two groups of Talon Company men in my employ were directed to assault the G.N.R. building and the Ranger Compound. They all died. I did not issue these orders, Burke."

Burke swallowed another half-glass of whiskey. "Well, Mr. Littlehorn, it wasn't I that gave those orders, I assure you…"

"There are very few people capable of giving orders in this organization, Burke. Myself, yourself, and Jabsco. But Jabsco always reports directly to either you or myself; he never carries out orders on his own. He is utterly loyal but lacks the tactical mind you and I possess. So, twice now our troops were ordered to attack heavily fortified positions from which no profit can be gained. And in both instances, the groups were decimated."

Burke nodded, "Yes, I've seen the reports, and—"

Littlehorn, though an old man, commanded a powerful venomous tone when angered, which he used to interrupt the disturbed Burke with a piercing, "Silence your tongue or I'll have it cut out myself, you babbling fool. Explain to me immediately why this happened."

"I issued no such orders," Burke protested. "Jabsco will say the same. I don't know who did but it wasn't me." He stretched his collar as he felt sweat running down his neck.

"The Brotherhood has never tampered with our frequencies before. The fact that they weren't expecting the ambush against G.N.R. proves they weren't behind it. The Rangers are also out; they've never willingly thrown themselves against enemy fire. So who does that leave, Burke? Who, I ask?"

Burke finished his drink. "The Regulators lack the equipment to tap into our frequency and lack the knowledge it would require to redirect our troops."

"Who does that leave, Burke?" Littlehorn repeated.

Burke's eyes stared at Littlehorn from behind his sunglasses. "The Enclave."

Littlehorn nodded. "They're the only ones capable. The real question is why they would."

Burke had no answers. Not long afterwards, Littlehorn left after issuing his orders to Burke in regards to how they were going to change their radio frequency and communication codes to ensure that the Enclave did not redirect their troops into deathtraps again.

Burke stared out over the Capital Wasteland from atop Tenpenny Tower, wondering about the Enclave and their sudden involvement with the power struggle for it.

He didn't feel as safe as he had before.

* * *

In the morning, the party gathered their equipment and bid farewell to Amber and Uncle Leo, with the super mutant giving his own word that he would venture to Project Purity later that day. Once they were on their way north again, it wasn't an hour before they passed a raider camp they had previously killed all the raiders in. As it turns out, raiders aren't above taking a camp for their own that once belonged to their dead friends. Three of them were in the camp, and when Lloyd and company walked right in to see if there were any supplies they could take that they might have missed the first time, the raiders couldn't have been more surprised.

In Lloyd's group's defense, the raiders shot first. It wasn't a long fight, considering how outnumbered they were. After searching the bodies and taking the camp for all it was worth, they moved on, following the road north.

They were walking amongst the buildings of the DC ruins, passing wrecked cars and walking atop broken concrete. Jericho coughed hard a few times, pausing briefly to catch his breath, prompting a response from Harkness. "You should stop smoking, Jericho. It'll kill you."

"The hell do you care? You some kinda doctor?" Jericho retorted.

"I don't have medical training, no."

"Then shut the hell up," he said as he struck up yet another cigarette, tossing an empty pack aside.

Harkness shook his head and kept on walking. Lloyd felt like saying something, as he had received medical training and knew how dangerous smoking was, but he felt it best to not provoke the old raider. Lloyd looked back over his shoulder at Jericho and couldn't help but ponder the point Harkness had made about the man's health when he was hit in the chest with a bright red laser blast.

Lloyd's back hit the ground hard, a hole burned clean through his armor. He shouted in pain and the group immediately went into action. "Where is he, where is he!" Jericho shouted, running behind the corner of a nearby building to take cover. Charon ran ahead, grabbing Lloyd forcefully by his armor's collar and dragging him back behind cover. Amata followed quickly, and Russ ran ahead, barking fiercely. None of them knew where the blast had come from, save for Harkness. He had seen that it was fired downwards from a rooftop, and he scanned as much as he could, but he could not see anything.

Another blast surged from the invisible sniper, this time aimed at Russ, but missed. Harkness followed the trail of the beam, even though it was only visible for a moment. Again, his scans saw nothing. Plasma rifle in hand, he ran forward, trying to get the hidden sniper's attention. "The roof at the end of the street!" he called out. Perhaps if his companions laid out some suppressing fire, the sniper would inadvertently reveal itself. Jericho began firing his assault rifle at the roof, his bullets spraying in various directions. Harkness was going over combat calculations and tactics in his head every single second, but he had no idea where his enemy actually was.

Behind a large pile of rubble, Amata was tending the burnt hole in Lloyd's armor. The hard material of the armor had melted, and the flesh was burnt and black. Lloyd gritted his teeth and was breathing with great difficulty. Frantic, Amata injected him with Med-X, and after apologizing in advance, used a few stimpaks on the wound itself. He groaned loudly. Charon had left them, running towards Harkness. The ghoul knew his shotgun wouldn't be of much use if the enemy was on the roof as he had said. It was suited for close range more than long, but he could still lay down a hail of covering fire. But like Harkness, he couldn't see the enemy.

"Where the fuck is he?" Jericho called out in between reloading.

Harkness got an idea. He began switching through various spectrums of vision to try and find the sniper. He wasn't sure if it would work, and he was limited to the number of spectrums available to his synthetic eyes, but then he saw him. He couldn't believe he hadn't considered the possibility ahead of time that the sniper would be cloaked. He raised his plasma rifle and aimed; doing all the physics and mathematics in his head to get the perfect shot, but before he could fire the sniper shot him first, his laser rifle burning a hole clean through his shoulder.

Harkness was glad he didn't have to feel pain if he didn't want to. A small subroutine turned off his pain receptors whenever he entered combat. His left arm fell limp. A moment after readjusting his aim with only his right arm, he fired back. The green bolt of plasma surged across the space between them and hit the sniper dead on. He didn't know if he had killed the sniper or not, but the blob of bright yellow in his vision that made up the cloaked figure vanished behind the edge of the rooftop.

A voice shouted from nearby. "What the hell is going on out here, ah?"

Everyone in the group turned to look at the man who had just emerged from a building, a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other, dressed in maroon pajamas. His skin was tanned, his head was shaved and he was middle-aged. There was a small patch of facial hair beneath his bottom lip. He held his arms out wide and spoke in a voice slightly muddled with an accent, "You clown shoes gonna keep staring at me or am I going to get some answers, eh?"

Charon spoke first. "We are under attack and have wounded. Do you offer shelter?"

The man seemed to pause. "Sure, whatever. Come inside and don't touch the women." With that, he swaggered back inside, taking a swig of his drink. They weren't sure what to make of that comment but they weren't about to turn away shelter.

Amata picked up Lloyd, supporting him with his shoulder. They quickly went inside, followed by Russ and Jericho. Harkness was about to follow before Charon grabbed his still-functional shoulder. "Can't help but notice that you're not in much pain. Never seen a man fire a plasma rifle with only one hand before, either."

"Is this really the best time for this?" Harkness said. "That sniper might still be alive."

Charon's eyes narrowed and he let go. They went inside whereupon Charon immediately closed the large metal doors behind them.

Lloyd and Amata, who had gone inside first, had gotten a clear view of the place. It wasn't like any other place they had been to in the wasteland, and frankly, they were glad for that. The large room was mostly lit by two large human figures, both feminine in form, hanging from the ceiling in the clear act of sexual intimacy resembling missionary position. The statues were constructed of bright squares that illuminated the area. Also hanging from the ceiling was a jukebox, from which music was playing, and a broken toilet. There was a bed in the middle of the room with disheveled sheets and a few bottles of beer littered on it. A white couch was near the bed. A nearby pool table was covered with empty booze bottles. Placed sporadically throughout the room were female mannequins, some without their head or other limbs. A large pot contained a dead tree covered in Christmas lights. Those same kinds of lights also decorated the parts ceiling. The entire place smelt of sweat, alcohol and sex.

"Oh, wow," Lloyd said as he saw the place through lidded eyes.

"This place is… um…" Amata was at a loss for words.

The man turned around. "Now, who the hell are you?" he demanded to know. Before they could respond, he said, "Never mind. You look like you need a drink, ha-ha! Cherry! I need a drink over here!"

Two women descended a nearby staircase. Collectively, the group's jaws fell agape and their eyes widened slightly as the two voluptuous women, dressed in skimpy nightwear that covered very little and was transparent in 'key' areas, sauntered down. One was African with closely cut hair, the other a very pale Caucasian with wild red hair.

"Um, who are they and where are their um, clothes?" Amata asked, trying not to stare.

"Ha-ha! They're my party girls!" the man said as he took another drink, sitting down on the couch. "I'm too much man for just one woman, so I need two! I wear them out every night. Why should they bother getting dressed when I'm going to just take it off?" he chuckled, utterly shameless about his words. The two women walked up behind his couch and draped themselves in suggestive poses around him. "Fantasia and Cherry," he introduced them, indicating the black woman and the white woman respectively. "I've got the best whores in the wasteland. The two of them are going to break my bedsprings someday! Hah!"

"And you are…?" Amata asked, slightly disgusted at everything she was hearing and seeing.

The man lit a cigarette. Lloyd was beginning to wonder how much more hedonism the man could pack into the next few minutes. "Call me Dukov," he told them. "And this?" he indicated the entire room, "This is my place."

Jericho walked up alongside Lloyd and Amata with a smile on his face. "Hot damn. Can I get some of that hooch?" he asked, pointing at the tables. Dukov laughed.

"Of course clown shoes! Help yourself to the liquor cabinet. I never trust someone without a drink in their hand. Of course, I never trust someone with a drink too! Ha-ha-ha!" Dukov laughed as he took another drink and a puff. Fantasia was rubbing his chest.

"Dukey," Cherry said in a longing tone as she played her fingers across Dukov's chest, "You said you were going to take us shopping in Rivet City soon."

Dukov waved her off. "Soon, baby, soon. Have another drink."

"What exactly are you doing out here all by yourselves?" Lloyd asked, still pained but otherwise able to communicate.

"Eating, drinking, farting a screwing!" Dukov proclaimed as he laughed once more. "Out here, nobody bothers me. I can do whatever I like to whoever I want. And I do!"

"Um… is there a place where we can set Lloyd here down?" Amata asked. Nearby, Charon walked up to a table and picked up an empty bottle, smelling it.

Dukov finished his latest puff, and said, "There's a chair upstairs."

"That couch would be better to lay him down on," Amata protested.

"Yeah, but I'm on it right now, aren't I?" Dukov chuckled. "Chair's fine. He looks fine."

"What about that bed?" Amata said, pointing to the bed near the couch.

"Off-limits to anyone but me and my girls," Dukov said. Amata could hardly believe this guy. The nerve! How could he deny a comfortable surface for a wounded person to lie down on for such a pointless reason?

"Just go," Lloyd quietly said before Amata could reply. "I'll be fine, just lemme sit down."

Frowning, Amata helped him up the stairs, with Russ following quickly behind him. It seemed that even he didn't like this place, as he held his head down with his ears low. Charon also walked up, telling them, "I don't like the look of this place. We should leave as soon as possible."

"Tell me about it. As soon as Lloyd heals," she said. "Shouldn't take long, but he's never been burnt by a laser before." They found the chair and she helped him into it.

"Shouldn't take long?" Charon asked. "He'll be here at least a day." Charon's eyes widened as he looked at the wound. Lloyd's flesh was starting to reform, though parts of charred blackness remained.

Amata realized that Charon still didn't know about Lloyd's advanced healing factor. "Look, Charon, um…" She paused when Lloyd grabbed her hand.

"Let me. Charon, keep quiet about this, but I can heal," he said. "Heal a lot. Like, really fast. I don't know why."

Charon stood for a moment in silence. "Normal people don't have this kind of power."

Lloyd cracked a weak laugh. "You think? I don't know why it's there, alright? It just… is. I don't know how long I've had it, either. I just… heal."

Charon knelt before Lloyd, looking at the wound. "You're lucky, then."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, totally. I love not knowing the origin of this goddamn… thing. Healing factor. Whatever."

"Perhaps your father knows?" Charon pointed out.

"I've thought of that. We'll find out when we find him, won't we?" he replied. "Until then, I don't know anything about it."

"I do," Harkness said, walking up to them. They turned to look at him. "Jericho's making friendly talk with Dukov," he said. "I scanned you last night, Lloyd. I know how the mutation works but I don't know how it manifested in your body."

"I didn't know you could do that," Lloyd said. "Interesting…"

"So you're not human, then," Charon said. "And I take it you two know what he is. Care to enlighten?"

Harkness stood stoic as Lloyd explained his origin as an android and gave the ghoul a brief summary of how they found out the truth. Harkness knew he had originally decided to approach Lloyd in private about his mutation, but given the recent circumstances, he didn't want to breed suspicion and distrust between himself and the tall ghoul. He judged that it was better for Charon to know.

"So you can scan people?" Amata asked. "What exactly does that… entail?"

"In the simplest terms I can use, it gives me the exact biological readout of an individual, item, liquid or gas. I can tell its exact composition and current state of being."

"So you scanned me. What did you learn?" he asked.

"The tissues of your body are able to repair themselves at a highly accelerated rate; that much is readily apparent. Many of your body tissues are also much stronger than normal humans, like the lining of your organs. Your muscles are the healthiest I've ever seen as well."

"I don't feel stronger or faster than anyone else," Lloyd said.

"That's because, on their own, they're only as developed as you allow them to be. But because of their advanced makeup, I theorize that if you were to train them, you would become stronger and faster than a normal human in a relatively shorter period of time. That's a theory, of course."

Lloyd nodded. "Okay… just keep going, I guess. Tell me as much as you can."

"I mentioned that much of your body is different because of the mutation, but it's difficult to grasp just how different your body truly is. Your blood, for example, is much cleaner and more pure, and it also serves to carry the mutation around your body."

"You're saying my blood is what causes the mutation?"

"I'm saying that's how certain cells, similar to stem cells, get around your body. These cells repair damaged tissue in various ways, chiefly among them being replacing damaged cells and assuming their function. As I said, they're like stem cells. But a key difference is that these cells have a kind of… intelligence."

"Are you saying that they're alive?" Lloyd asked.

"No. But when your body is injured, like it was just now, the cells immediately know where to travel and work together to improve the wound. I believe this might be a response generated by your nervous system. As soon as you feel pain, it sends a message to these cells and they work to fix it."

"So similar to the way white blood cells fight foreign bacteria, these cells fight… pain?"

"Somewhat. You still feel pain; that much is clear. But these cells work to heal tissue, and have replaced the cells in your body that already function similarly. Possible side effects might be that you possess an immunity to poisons, or disease."

"What about radiation?"

"I don't believe so, as your Pip-Boy still gives a rad count. Now, I don't have much of a stance of comparison, but as rads bond to cells, a higher amount of them may have detrimental effects on the mutation. It might just be that the more the rads, the weaker your healing. I'd keep a close eye on your rad count and keep it low if you ever want to keep this healing."

"Okay… but how the hell can these… super cells… repair a hole in my chest caused by a chunk of rebar?" Lloyd asked. "I survived the fall of the Washington Monument at the top of it."

"Well, that's actually something that's even more interesting; my eyes allow me to see and understand things on a much smaller scale than humans. What I'm witnessing happening to your chest is that these cells are actually consuming inorganic matter that is obstructing their paths and recycling damaged tissue. I can only theorize that the cells are following a plan of blueprints set forth by your brain and are working around anything in their way."

Lloyd blinked a few times. "So… if a bullet were to get lodged in me, eventually the cells would break it down?"

"Theoretically," Harkness replied. "They'd break it down and flush it out of your system. The complexity of their actions is… astounding, to say the least. It's not entirely unalike how ghouls are healed by radiation, but in a very different fashion. I also believe that you're more resistant to permanent damage. Bruises won't form, and I didn't mention it but your skeleton is stronger as well. Your bones are harder to break."

"But can they?"

"I believe so, yes. Whether or not they will heal as fast as say, a bullet wound, I cannot say. I lack any real comparison to compare you to, so I have no standard that you can reach or excel at."

Lloyd nodded. "Alright… what about what I eat? What if I were to intentionally harm my body with cigarettes or alcohol?"

"I think your body would repair any damage they would deal."

"Interesting… not that I would do those things in the first place," he said, looking at Amata and smiling, "but still, interesting."

"All told, Lloyd, your body has the potential to become a paragon for the entire human species. You could become stronger and faster than the best athletes in the world."

"What about the rest of my body? My brain, or my eyes, for example?" he asked.

"Every brain is unique. Unless you've demonstrated some kind of perfect memory or night vision, I'd say the mutation doesn't change anything apart from its healing capabilities; it only helps keep your body in complete healthy and working condition."

Lloyd chuckled. "This is some serious pseudoscientific shit…" Amata took his hand. He looked at her, then back the Harkness. "Alright. Thank you for telling me all of this… but how do you think it all happened?"

Harkness shook his head. "I only have theories. I don't know if this mutation was introduced to your system, if something else caused it to manifest, or if it is a pre-existing condition."

Lloyd cocked his eyebrow. "Pre-existing condition? You mean I could have been born like this?"

Harkness shrugged. "I do know one thing: you weren't born this way unless your father or your mother, or both, are just like you."

Lloyd's eyes slowly fell to the floor. "I… I hadn't thought of that. What if he is? What if mom was?"

"I'd be able to tell you if we found him."

"I'd prefer to hear it from him, actually," he said. "If we do find my father… don't scan him."

"I can appreciate that request, Lloyd. Alright."

The entire time during the conversation, Amata and Charon had been quiet, but both had been listening very intently. Charon then asked Harkness, "So what are you going to do about that hole in your shoulder?"

Harkness looked at the ghoul. "I can repair myself. My body has something of a repair weave, but this kind of wound still requires some maintenance. It's not damaged enough that I can't use it, I'll just need to go in there and fix a few things and I'll be fine."

"Thanks again, Harkness. You'd make a good doctor, you know. You're good at explaining things." Lloyd stood up, groaning a little bit. Amata helped him. His chest was now fully healed, the hole in his armor revealed only the flesh of his skin. "Good as new, right?"

A quick scan later had Harkness nodding in approval. "Only slight discomfort should remain. It'll go away in a few minutes."

"Great. Let's get out of this den. Frankly, this Dukov guy makes me sick." He was about to move when Amata stopped him.

"Lloyd, what if the person who was shooting at us is still out there?" she said with worry in his voice.

"Oh yeah… sounds stupid, but I forgot. That is the whole reason we're in here, isn't it?" He then smiled and laughed. "Hah… 'Hole' reason," he said, pointing at the gap in his armor's torso.

"Puns, Lloyd? Really?" she said, smiling despite the situation. "Just shut up and think. What if he is still out there?"

"Well… I guess the only way we'll know is if we go outside and see." Lloyd felt his chest. "Gonna be kinda breezy for a while, I'll tell you that much."

"Normally, I'd advise finding a new suit of armor. But since you're apparently immortal, I'll keep my mouth shut," Charon said.

"I'm not immortal, just… different," Lloyd said. Charon nodded and descended the stairs.

After a moment, they too continued down. The jukebox, which somehow was functioning as a radio, suddenly piped up with the familiar sound of Three Dog's charismatic voice. "Hey boys and girls, it's Three-heeeeeee Doooooog! Here with some of everybody's favorite thing outside of survival: the news! I've been getting more and more reports of these Talon Company mercenaries, especially in the downtown DC ruins. If you see these hombres, steer clear. Whatever you have, they want. And they're not really into asking politely. Word is these guys take all the contracts the other guys won't, like Reilly's Rangers. In short, there's nothin' they won't do. So be careful out there. In related news, a firefight with the aforementioned Talon mercs happened recently outside of Rivet City. Three members of Reilly's Rangers were involved with the fight, and two of them were none other than the Wandering Pair. That's right boys and girls, those two crazy cats from Vault 101 are helping them fight the good fight. Thanks for listening children! This is Three Dog, oooowwwww! And you're listening to Galaxy News Radio. We're a radio-free wasteland and we're here for you. Now, some music." Three Dog's voice was then replaced by an old catchy tune being played.

"Jericho, we're getting out of here," Lloyd called out. Jericho groaned before gathering as much alcohol as he could.

"Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out, clown shoes!" Dukov laughed. "Come on girls, let's party upstairs!" he said before standing and walking up stairs. Lloyd shook his head as they headed for the front door, opposite the one they had originally entered. As Lloyd went to the door, Cherry suddenly hurried out of the shadows, up to him.

"Hey, you two. You're them, aren't you? The ones Three Dog just talked about on the radio, right? The Wandering Pair? You're in the Rangers' armor!" she said excitedly.

"Uh… yeah, that's us alright," Amata told her. "…Why?"

"Can you take me to Rivet City?" she begged. "I hate it here, and I hate Dukov. He makes me drink too much and the only reason I'm here is because he's a crack shot."

Lloyd looked at Amata. "Well… we were headed in the opposite direction. But it's not too far away…"

"A delay would not be advised," Charon pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Look, what about Megaton? We planned on stopping by there. It's a nice settlement."

"No way kid, I wanna to go to Rivet City," Cherry said. "It's a hell of a lot safer." Upon sensing Lloyd's hesitation, she quickly added, "Look, kid, I hate it here. I'm only here because Dukov's got a gun and he's a good shot with it. He wouldn't let me leave on my own and I wouldn't risk going alone. I've been trying to get him to take us to the city for a while now, but he keeps dodging the idea. I want out, now. Please help me."

Lloyd sighed. "It won't be too much of a delay. We'll still reach Megaton by nightfall, and assuming we still have that house there, we should be fine for the night."

"I'll get my stuff!" Cherry cried and ran upstairs.

"Are you sure, Lloyd?" Amata asked.

He nodded. "Won't take long. We know the way and we may never come back this way again. If she doesn't like her life here, who would we be to deny her a normal life?"

After a moment, she decided she agreed. "Alright. Let's go."

A moment later, Cherry joined them in a wastelander outfit which wasn't revealing or lacey, which Lloyd and Amata were thankful for. They exited the building and began walking back the way they came.

Not long after they left, the doors to Dukov's place that they had originally entered from were kicked open. Three soldiers in dark power armor with yellow glowing eyes entered the room. The foremost of them had a minigun, the other two armed with laser rifles. Dukov came out of his room, storming down the stairs. "Hey! Who the hell are you, eh? Get the hell out of my place!"

They said nothing. The one wielding the minigun opened fire, his hail of bullets tearing Dukov into pieces, leaving him as little more than a red stain on the staircase. They swept the building. When one of them found Fantasia, he picked her up and tossed her off of the second floor balcony. She cried out as she was silenced by a laser blast from another's rifle.

"Too easy," said the one who threw her off. "All witnesses terminated." He knelt down and took out a small device from his power armor's belt that he proceeded to plant on the floor.

"Freeman and the others aren't here. We missed them," said another. "Should've come in earlier."

"You know our orders," said the minigun wielder. "They're not here. Time to disappear."

They left the room, leaving the doors open. A minute later, the building burst into flames as the highly concentrated explosive charge that they had placed went off, erasing all evidence.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when the Wandering Pair and their companions discovered the burning remains of Dukov's place. They had escorted Cherry to Rivet City without incident and were once more on their way only to find themselves halted by the sight of the burnt building.

"Holy shit," Lloyd said as he narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

"Was it an accident?" Amata wondered aloud. Russ barked a few times at the flames.

"Damn shame," Jericho said. "Just think of all the booze that burnt up with that place."

"Great sentiment, Jericho," Lloyd said. "Harkness, you got anything?"

The android shook his head. "Nothing. Place is just burnt."

Amata nearly spat on the ground as she suggested, "Maybe that indecent light of his fell down and burnt the place to the ground."

"Plausible, save for the fact that it was well-secured to the ceiling," Harkness pointed out. "But there were quite a few lights in there, and plenty of burnable fabric and liquid lying around."

Lloyd shook his head. "Karma's a strange thing, isn't it? We take away one of his flames, and he dies in a fire." After pausing for a moment, he added, "Wish I had some sunglasses to put on."

Amata looked over at him quizzically. "Why?"

"Because the fire's bright. Why else?"

"I think we should go," Charon said, a point which they all agreed on

They continued on their journey, meeting an odd scavenger with a flamethrower and a mohawk under attack by raiders. In exchange for helping him against the raiders, he gave them some caps, as he valued his life above money. They crossed a bridge out of the D.C. ruins, the bridge they had first crossed to get into it. In the distance, they saw the Super Duper Mart. Perhaps he was a bit sentimental, but Lloyd wanted to go back there just to see it. As they approached, they quickly saw something strange take place. From a distance, they watched as a large radscorpion fought off a group of giant ants.

The fight was going the radscorpion's way as it snapped the head from one ant, but the tide was suddenly turned when the ants opened their mouths and unleashed torrents of fire resembling napalm. The radscorpion was fried on the spot and the ants went about disassembling it with their jaws. The observers were astounded.

"What the hell just happened?" Lloyd asked. "Did you guys see that?" Charon, Harkness and Amata nodded.

"I'm zooming in," Harkness said. "Something's different about those ants."

"What? The hell's he talking about?" Jericho asked.

"Oh, yeah. Harkness is an android, don't tell anybody," Lloyd told him.

"What? The fuck did you call him?" Jericho asked.

"I am a synthetic life form created by a secret society of scientists to hunt down other synthetic life forms. I left them and changed my identity and wiped my memory. Lloyd gave me my memory back. Never tell anyone else. Any questions?" Harkness asked.

Jericho shook his head. "You should be glad I'm drunk; I don't like bein' fucked with."

"Wait, there's something else out there…" Harness said. He looked closer and scanned. "It's a kid!"

"What?" Lloyd and Amata said in unison.

"It's a boy. He's running from the ants and now they're chasing him." Harkness stood up. "Come on!"

They all jumped up and ran forward, firing at the ants. Lloyd pulled out a grenade and tossed it at them. It landed amongst the middle of them and exploded, blowing off their limbs and sending those that lived into a wild frenzy. Shortly thereafter, the group finished them all off. The little boy with dirty blond hair, dressed in tattered clothing and wearing blue rubber gloves, ran up and threw himself at Lloyd in a hug. The boy was crying and he wrapped his arms around Lloyd's waste tightly.

"Those monsters… th-they're gonna get me…"

Lloyd looked around, unsure of what to do. This would have to be done delicately—he was certain nobody in the group had any real experience with children. He looked down at the boy and put his arms on his shoulders and spoke calmly. "Calm down. It's okay."

"No, no, I can't! Those things! They'll… I gotta keep going!" he said, very frightened and fast-paced. He was about to let go and run off, but Lloyd's grip tightened and he knelt down to look at the child in the eyes.

"Hey, hey… calm down. It's going to be okay. I promise." Amata knelt down next to the two of them and gently put her hand on top of Lloyd's to help support the child and let him know that he was safe. Lloyd looked up at the others. "Guys, spread out. Make sure there aren't any more of those ants around." They nodded and split up. Russ went out too, following Charon.

The boy looked up at Lloyd and Amata. "You… you won't leave me like all the other grownups, right? You… you can help me?"

"We'll help you," Lloyd told the boy. "What's your name?"

The boy sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Bryan," he said. "Bryan Wilks."

"Can you tell us more? What's happening?" Amata asked.

"Those… those big things that breathe fire. They're all over Grayditch and they killed all the others."

"Oh my god…" Amata said. "Are… are you alone?"

Bryan paused. "I don't know… my poppa… I think he might be alive. But those things… they're all over the place."

"Where's Grayditch?" Lloyd asked. Bryan pointed to a collection of ruined buildings not far to the south. "Alright… can you tell me more about the things swarming over Grayditch?"

"Well… they're big, ugly things that crawl around on six legs. They got huge teeth and skitter around grabbing everything in their path. My poppa would always say they were fuckin' ants. Well, that's what he used to say… I always called them fire ants."

"Have they always been around?" Amata asked.

"Naw… Those things started coming around only in the last few months. At first, they just crawled around outside our town. Then later, they came into town, and then… you know the rest," he said quietly.

"Can you tell us what happened anyway? I'll understand if you don't want to," Lloyd asked.

Bryan nodded weakly as he said, "It used to be kinda nice… nobody really bothered us there. I think it's because we lived so close to DC. There were seven of us living there in tall, old brick houses."

Lloyd nodded. "Who else lived in Grayditch with you and your father?"

"Um, besides me and my poppa, there was Doc Lesko who stayed with us and Will Brandice and his momma and poppa. I… I think I'm the only one left. Those things… they took everyone else." He stifled back a few tears, but then began crying again.

"It's okay, it's alright," Amata soothed him. "Can we ask you a few more questions?"

He was still sniffling, but he nodded. "Alright."

"Okay," Amata smiled. "Can we ask you some specific questions about the people? Just in case we find any of them."

"No, no it's okay. It's just nice to talk to people about stuff," he said.

"Who's this "Doc Lesko" you mentioned?" Lloyd asked.

"He was a strange man… he paid poppa a buncha caps to build a shack and carry a bunch of junk into it. Poppa called him an egghead, but his head was shaped regular, so I didn't get it." Lloyd and Amata, who did understand, smiled, and at the sight of them smiling, Bryan managed one as well.

"Where was his shack?" Lloyd asked, getting back on topic.

"It was next to my house. He spent all his time in there. Every time I'd sneak in there, he'd be sitting in front of his… funny green TV screen, pressing buttons."

"A computer," Lloyd said. "And he called himself "Doc Lesko?""

"Well, no… he said his name was "Doctor Lesko" but my dad always called him Doc."

"Egghead, computer… A scientist, maybe… Do you have any idea what Doctor Lesko was doing in Grayditch, Bryan?" he asked.

"Naw. He was a nice man, but he never wanted to play with me very much and we barely talked. All I know is that when the ants showed up, he was gone. I think… I think they got him too."

Lloyd nodded. "Okay. You said you sneaked into his place and that he had a computer. Did he have anything else?"

"I dunno… all kinds of doohickeys. Boxes with lots of light, some funny glass bottles… oh wait! He had a big, clunky shiny man! That was kinda neat."

"A robot?" Amata asked. "He definitely sounds like a scientist now."

Lloyd nodded in agreement. "Clunky, shiny man, eh? Might be a protectron unit. Okay. Bryan, can you tell us anything else?"

"I just want my poppa back," he said. "Can you find him, please?"

Lloyd didn't have the heart to tell the kid that his father might be dead. "We'll try to find him, Bryan. Where's your house?"

"Look for the house that's close to the billboard that's sticking out of the ground… It's close to the diner, you can't miss it."

"Alright, Bryan. We'll find your father, I promise," Amata said, rubbing his head.

The boy's face lit up. "Really? You will? Thanks! You guys are awesome!"

"Now is there a safe place you can hide while we look?" Lloyd asked.

"Well… there's an old personal shelter near the diner. Poppa always said to stay away from it, but it's supposed to be safe, so I guess it's okay now. Have you ever seen one?"

"A few of them, in the ruins," Amata answered.

"Okay. Is there anything else you can tell us at all?" Lloyd asked. "Anything?"

Bryan seemed unsure of himself. "Well… I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but my poppa had a buncha weapons and stuff hidden and locked in a trash bin behind the diner. He gave me the only other key, and I guess you guys would like it a lot more than me," he told them, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small key. He gave it to Lloyd, who pocketed it.

Lloyd looked back to Bryan. "Alright, Bryan, we're going to go back into Grayditch. I want you to stay behind me the entire time and only go to the shelter when it's safe. Don't run away; just trust us that we will protect you. But you have to stay behind me, alright?"

Bryan looked up at Lloyd. "Okay, mister."

Lloyd smiled. "My name's Lloyd. This is Amata."

"Lloyd… Ama… Amato?" Bryan tried to pronounce her name. Amata giggled and helped him spell out the proper pronunciation.

"Okay Bryan, let's go find your dad." Lloyd stood up and called out, "On me!" to summon the others. They all quickly ran up. "Alright guys. We've got a bunch of fire-breathing super ants that have overrun the town of Grayditch over there. We're going to bust in there and find this boy's father. Any questions?"

"This is a delay," Charon pointed out. Bryan looked up at the ghoul and gasped, having never seen a ghoul before. The child quickly hid behind Amata and Lloyd, who shot Charon a narrow stare.

"Lives are at stake, Charon. It's never a delay if lives are at stake. Any further comments or can we get to it?" The group was silent. "Then let's hurry!"

As they ran towards Grayditch, weapon in hand and goal in mind. Bryan smiled as he saw how Lloyd commanded the men and they listened to him. He felt safe for the first time in what had felt like a long while.

* * *

"And what of his son?"

"Sir! We have an eyebot tracking them now. It picked them up just outside of a ruined store west of the Potomac and east of the Megaton settlement. They have just started entering some ruins south of the store's location. The ruins are on fire and our intelligence pegs the area as highly dangerous. We can have a team there in less than ten minutes."

Colonel Autumn sat in silence, deep in thought. "No. Call off all search parties and have them return to base."

"Sir? Are you certain?"

"I won't repeat myself," he said. "Call off all scout parties hunting for Freeman."

"Sir, yes sir!" The man quickly left the room to carry out his orders, the large steel doors sliding closed behind him.

Autumn sat in silence, his hands folded in front of him. A moment later, a screen to his left buzzed to life with the image of the face of the president, John Henry Eden. "Colonel, I'd love to hear your report now. Explain your latest orders."

Autumn took a sharp breath through his nose. "Mr. President," he began, "it is now my firm belief that we are acting too quickly and harshly far too early. If we continue, our plans may be jeopardized. We cannot allow ourselves to compromise what may be the best chance we have for controlling the wasteland."

"This is in opposition to my initial orders, Colonel. You're well aware of my desire to bring in James Freeman and his son for questioning in regards to Project Purity."

"Mr. President, we already lost one scout when he mistook James' son to be James himself. This afternoon, we had a team attempt to ambush the child alongside the Potomac, but he had evacuated the premises before they could mobilize on the ground due to a sudden super mutant attack against the squad. In this failure to apprehend him soon enough, two wasteland witnesses needed to be pacified. These mistakes reflect poorly on the competence of our soldiers, and furthermore, I will not allow another error to be made when I believe that this boy, Lloyd, may lead us to James."

"Explain yourself, Colonel."

"Doctor Freeman has managed to maintain a very low profile, but his child and travelling companions have done just the opposite. They're very much so celebrities in the wasteland. We have confirmation that the son is on the trail of his father and has very recently entered Project Purity's facility, the Jefferson Memorial. They have left it, obviously having found some clue as to where James has gone next."

"Well then, Colonel, as Doctor Freeman is most likely to return to Project Purity, we must send a team in at once to await his arrival."

"With all due respect, Mr. President, I doubt the tactical validity of that maneuver. Dr. Freeman had a team. If he is to resume work on that project, he would need his team reassembled. It would be in our own best interests to have that team be with him when we assume control of the project."

"Then you suggest further patience, Colonel?"

"I do, Mr. President. I understand that many of our people are getting anxious for the reclamation of our nation's capital, but I firmly believe we cannot risk becoming known to the child. If we do not handle this perfectly, Mr. President, I fear the boy may greatly hinder our efforts. But if we can get himself, his father and his father's team within captivity, then nothing will stand in our way towards activating the purifier. And furthermore, my plans regarding the pacification of the female companion that accompanies Lloyd, Amata Almodovar, are proceeding wonderfully."

"I assume you refer to your communications with Vault 101, yes? How is that operation proceeding?"

"The door will open soon. We'll be prepared to capture it and take hold of everyone inside who does not resist. They will provide plenty of manual labor and breeding stock, as all of them are untouched by the radiation outside. They will be the perfect worker caste for our new civilization. Once indoctrinated, they will come to serve the Enclave well once they realize the truth of their existence. They will also, should the need arise, provide the perfect bait to lure the Freeman child and the Overseer's daughter into a trap, providing they are not captured when we take Project Purity, itself a statistical unlikelihood."

"Don't forget our motivation for capturing and silencing the boy, Colonel. He's caused quite a stir in the wasteland. The last thing we need is a hero to lead them or a martyr to inspire them to rise up against us before the purifier can be activated. He may be the undoing of the plan yet."

"He won't, Mr. President."

The communication was cut and the screen went black. Autumn breathed a little easier. Things were getting stressed. The Enclave was at a very important crossroads. If any further mistakes were made, they would fail, and Autumn wasn't about to let that happen. For now, he needed the boy alive. But as soon as he and his little band of merry men outlived their usefulness, the time would come when he would die.

"All according to plan," he muttered to himself. And should the plan fail…

No. The plan wouldn't fail.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	13. Big Trouble in Little Grayditch

They neared Grayditch. Most sides of it were walled off, but there remained a few entrances. Lloyd looked through his sniper rifle's scope, sighting the many rising trails of smoke, even though those were visable for miles around. He could see scorch marks on buildings, along with cars burnt to a crisp. "It'll be dangerous," Lloyd told the group. "Try not to breathe in any smoke or fumes. Harkness and Jericho, you two should be fine."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Jericho asked. His assault rifle was in his hands, and he was standing behind Lloyd, itching for a fight.

"Just a joke, Jericho," Lloyd told him. "Alright, let's move in. And be sure to stick together; the last thing we need is someone splitting off from the group and getting fried." They all readied their weapons. Among them stood Bryan Wilks, who marveled at their weaponry and preparation, hoping that it would be enough to stop the fire ants that had taken over his town. "Harkness, keep a scan going. I don't want any surprises." The android gave a single nod. Lloyd looked over at Amata. "Keep a close eye on Bryan while we're in there, okay?"

She nodded her understanding. She gestured Bryan to come stand closer to her. "Stay with me while we're in the town until you get to the shelter, okay?" she instructed. He gave a tiny nod.

"We gonna fuckin' do this or talk about it some more?" Jericho asked, annoyed.

Lloyd turned around to look at him. "Don't jump the gun, Jericho. This won't be like any other fight we've been in. In the event that you just happen to be sobering up now, we're fighting ants that breathe fire."

Jericho shook his head. "The whole thing is stupid to begin with. But if we're gonna kill shit, let's just kill shit."

Lloyd thought about responding, telling him to stifle his language now that a child was present, but decided against it. "He's right. Just stick close and shoot anything that moves and doesn't look human."

They began moving again. They walked up a hill, following a road which ran between two buildings. Up ahead, there was a thick fence forged from planks of wood, plywood and sheet metal with an opening in the center, with the words "Welcome to Grayditch" crudely painted on one side. As they approached it from a distance of about twenty yards, a large ant, easily the size of a man with a reddish color to its carapace, walked out of that gap. Its head turns in their direction and its mandibles started moving excitedly, as though it had just detected a meal. The group raised their weapons and fired. Bryan covered his ears. The ant died easily from the hail of bullets and plasma.

They advanced, walking past the dead ant and into the town proper. "Over there, that's the diner!" Bryan said, pointing to the left. They looked over and could see a wrecked, but stable, diner with a small, one-man personal shelter next to it. Not far from it and across the street was a shack constructed of sheets of metal, undoubtedly Doctor Lesko's workshop.

"Move," Lloyd ordered. The group followed his lead towards the diner, watching for any enemy ant movement. As they neared the shack, an ant that had laid in hiding amongst tall grass reared its head up and released a torrent of flame in their direction. Lloyd fell back as the searing heat neared him, but did not hit him. A quick shotgun blast from Charon had the fire ant's head cracked in half and leaking yellow liquids. Harkness helped Lloyd up to his feet. "Clever bastards," Lloyd muttered, dusting himself off. "Watch out for hiders," he advised the others.

They neared the shelter, a small one-man metal pod that could open and close at the press of a button. As they approached the shelter, they saw a few ants off in the distance, much further down the street. They seemed to be grouping together over something obscured from their vision. Another ant came walking around the corner of the diner. They heard it before they saw it; it emitted an odd combination of skittering and clicking sounds. They were ready for it and quickly put it down before it could spew fire. Bryan pressed a button on the shelter and the door opened and he hurried inside.

"We'll be right back," Amata told him. Bryan nodded as the door slid shut.

"This is too easy," Jericho lamented.

"Better easy than dead," Charon said.

The group now stood in front of the diner, in the center of a crossroads. "Movement to the south," Harkness reported.

"I think we should sweep the town. Kill them all," Charon suggested.

"We should just go to Bryan's house and see if his dad is there, Lloyd," Amata said.

"The last thing we want to do is leave a number of them alive so they can group up and kill us," Charon countered.

"Hold it," Lloyd said, pulling out the key Bryan had given them. "Let's see what this unlocks, first." They moved behind the diner, watching for more ants. Sure enough, there was a trash bin with a lock on it. Lloyd used the key and opened it up. "Well, look what we've got here." He grunted slightly as he pulled out a case that was full of grenades, at least fifteen. "How many explosives do you think they thought they'd need?" he joked. There was also a Chinese-manufactured pistol, some 10mm ammo and a pack of RadAway.

"We have enough explosives there to sweep the town with," Charon persisted.

"I'm with tall, dark and ugly here," Jericho said, earning a mean glare from Charon. "Let's kill all of these things."

Lloyd thought on it. "It'll be better if we sweep the area. Time to work."

They moved out, and began moving through the streets of Grayditch. The ants began literally coming out of the woodwork, but they were manageable. Working together swiftly and concisely, they managed to eliminate a large number of the fire ants in a short period of time. The ants weren't being particularly stealthy or intelligent; they'd usually rush at the group in plain view. Jericho cackled as one-by-one the ants fell to their assault, finally finding his entertainment value in what they were doing. Eventually, however, the ants got tougher and bigger. They didn't die as fast; they were taking much more punishment than before and coming in larger groups.

Lloyd scowled as he realized he was once more running low on sniper rifle ammo. He put his rifle away and took out his magnum, crouching low as the others fired over his head. The ants, spewing their flames as a reflexive defense mechanism, made it hard for the group to see them. The ants would breathe fire as they advanced, which would have pushed the group back were it not for their newfound explosives. Grenades proved very effective against this tactic the ants employed, and since they now had grenades to spare, they were quite charitable with their use.

Slowly, over the course of a half-hour, the number of ants encountered dwindled down. The groups they were in became smaller, until eventually they didn't see an ant for minutes at a time. Lloyd wasn't content until they had all been found, however. As they swept through the town twice, they discovered more of them, hiding on walls, crawling around alleyways and underneath cars. Russ became very adept at sniffing them out and pointing the group in the right direction. "There might be more inside the buildings," Harkness pointed out. "If we plan on being thorough, we're going to have to comb through a lot of these ruins."

Lloyd shook his head. "I don't like the idea of fighting these things close-quarters," he said. "They've been getting harder to bring down. If they cornered just one of us and got a good blast in, that'd be it."

"Not for you, kid," Jericho said. "And probably not for the robot here."

"I'm not a robot," Harkness firmly protested, but was then silenced by Lloyd.

"Either way, we're not going into any buildings unless we think we need to," he told them. "Now, we've killed the bulk of them, so let's get into the Wilks home and look for Bryan's father." As per Bryan's original instructions, they found a brick house located right next to Doctor Lesko's shack. Most of it was destroyed and its windows were broken, but the front door still stood and wasn't' locked. Lloyd led the way in, very cautiously, and the others followed, save for Harkness who volunteered to watch the outside. Upon entering, Lloyd found that to his immediate right was an ant which startled him, at least until he realized it was already dead.

To his left was a doorway that led into a living room, in which a pile of rubble was burning. Two more ants lay dead, and in the center of the room was the body of an adult male in ragged clothing. Lloyd knelt next to the body to inspect it. He was burnt, but also bitten in various places. His body was cold. "Is it him?" Amata asked quietly from the doorway. Lloyd nodded without turning around.

"It has to be. Search the house. Find anything useful," he said, lamenting every word.

They spread out, with Charon moving to inspect the upstairs, Amata searching the kitchen and Jericho checked around the living room. Lloyd searched the man's pockets. He pulled out a small key with some tape on it, labeled "Shack."

"Hot damn!" Jericho said, surprising Lloyd. He looked over and saw the raider pull an assault rifle of differing model to the one he had off of a shelf. "Now this is why we came here," Jericho said, holding up the new rifle. It looked a little sleeker and sturdier, with a different stock and design. "Can't wait to pop some motherfuckers with this!" he gleefully exclaimed as he swiped some clips for it off of the shelf and loaded it.

"Good for you," Lloyd said, turning back to the body. He noticed that Bryan's father's eyes were still open. Out of respect, he slid his eyes shut. Nearby, Russ whined a little.

"Some food in the kitchen fridge," Amata called out from another room.

"A pistol and ammo," Charon called out from upstairs. "Not much."

Amata, after taking the food, then searched the only remaining room on the first floor, the bathroom, which contained a medical kit on the wall. At her beckoning, Lloyd opened it and took the medical supplies out of it and packed them into his medical kit. It wasn't much, only a few stimpaks and some pills. "So…" Amata said, unsure of how to proceed with the subject. "Do we go tell Bryan?"

"Of course we do," Lloyd said. "I feel… sorry for the kid. He shouldn't have had to go through this."

Jericho listened from outside the doorway. "It's more common than you'd think, kid. Can't be helped. Kids get abandoned all the time. Most people just drop them off at Little Lamplight."

Amata looked back at Jericho with a raised brow. "Little Lamplight?"

Jericho, taking a moment to light a cigarette, eventually replied, "Yeah, it's a place with just kids. Lotta people that don't want the little bastards runnin' around throw 'em at the place 'cause they'll get taken in."

"That's awful," Amata said, disgusted at the notion.

Jericho scoffed. "That's the way it is, princess. You wouldn't know it, because you didn't grow up in the outside world. 'Sides, maybe it'll do the kid some good. Build him some character."

Lloyd looked back at him and shot him an angered look. "Nobody deserves to be without a father," Lloyd said firmly. "Nobody. I'm looking for mine because he's one of the most important people in my life." Lloyd brushed past him and headed for the door. "But I guess you wouldn't know about that."

Jericho looked at him, readying a comeback, but then stifled it and followed in silence. Lloyd wasn't sure what was on the raider's mind, and at the time, he didn't care. Jericho was wearing thin on his nerves recently. Jericho, conversely, was growing bored of all the talking and walking, and not enough fighting.

The silence outside was awkward, until Amata spoke up. "We should get back to Bryan, yeah?"

"Yeah," Lloyd sighed, stepping out into the afternoon sun once more.

They approached the shelter and opened it. Bryan looked up at them and rubbed his eyes slightly from the light of day, but his face lit up nonetheless. "Come on! Tell me already!" he pleaded.

Lloyd looked back at Amata, then at the others as they grouped around the shelter. "Give us some space. Spread out," he asked. Harkness, Charon and a grumbling Jericho left them. Lloyd looked back to Bryan. "I… I think I have some bad news for you, Bryan," he said, kneeling down to the kid's level. Amata did the same.

"What happened?" Bryan asked, his face losing some of its hope.

"Bryan, I'm sorry, but…" Lloyd closed his eyes and sighed. "Your father is… no longer with us."

"He's… he's dead?" he asked them. They nodded solemnly. Bryan's eyes drifted down. "I guess… I already kinda knew. I'm just…" he trailed off, before looking up at them. "I'm just too tired to cry anymore."

Amata's heart sank and she couldn't help herself but to lean over and hug Bryan. "I'm sorry," she told him. "I'm so sorry." Russ held his head and ears low as he whined.

Lloyd remained silent. He reached up and took off his helmet, then his goggles, wiping his eyes of a minor amount of moisture. 'Damnit…' he thought to himself. 'We killed almost all of these things. If we had gotten here earlier…' He looked over at Amata and Bryan hugging. He saw the boy's tired eyes and dirty skin. He would need help. Not just help, but a home with people. He knew the boy would also need resolution. Lloyd stood up and put his helmet on, but not the goggles. "Bryan," he said, getting the boy to look up at him. "We'll stop whatever started this. I promise you that. I can't make everything wrong that happened here right, but I can make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else ever again."

Bryan didn't know what to say. "You gotta… You just gotta."

"We will, Bryan," Amata told him.

"I wish I had met you guys a long time ago," Bryan said. "Then maybe my dad would still be alive."

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah… Me too, Bryan."

"But I feel better now that I've met you guys," Bryan said. "I feel safer."

"We're glad," Amata said, giving the boy a comfortable smile. "We're going to go and look around for the source of these ants. You'll have to stay here a little longer. We'll be back soon, okay?"

"Wait, before you go… do whatever, can you check the Brandice house? It's right across the street. Maybe they made it out okay."

Lloyd said, "Alright. We'll go look."

"Come back soon, and be careful. I don't want you to die too," Bryan said as they stepped back. The shelter door closed and they regrouped with the others.

"How's the kid?" Harkness asked.

"Doing as well as he can," Lloyd answered. "We've got another house he'd like us to check. Might be survivors."

"Doubt it," Jericho said, lighting up a cigarette. "What?" he asked when they all looked at him. "This whole fuckin' town is dead as the fuckin' ants we've been killin'."

"There might be survivors, and we can't ignore that opportunity," Lloyd said with no room for argument. "Come on." They walked over to the Brandice household and opened the door, being as careful as they had been before. Their cautiousness wasn't required, however, as the place was completely devoid of life. When Lloyd entered, he heard music playing; upbeat and cheery with trumpets and drums. The house was dark, so he activated his Pip-Boy's light. The tune was coming from upstairs, so he walked up the dirty steps and into a master bedroom with a queen-sized bed and a desk with a computer terminal and an active radio atop it.

Lloyd approached the desk and sat on the swiveling chair in front of it. The others entered the room behind him as he attempted to hack the computer with his Pip-Boy, which proved to be an easy task. As soon as he was done, the radio's song ended, and a voice came over it. The voice was distinct, refined and intelligent, and it belonged to a man who sounded aged and wise. The man was a good speaker and chose his words well. He was clear and concise and obviously quite educated. Needless to say, Lloyd was listening intently, as were the others.

"Greetings, America. This is your president, John Henry Eden. I'd like to chat with you, if you've got a moment. It's time we discuss something rather important. The issue at hand is, well, my presidency. The question has been raised, I know, as to how I came to be elected to this most illustrious office, or, whether or not I had been elected at all. To that I must answer, 'Of course.' Of course I was elected, sweet America, of course. Isn't the right to vote the very foundation of a democracy? Unfortunately, in the interest of national security, I'm not at liberty to discuss the details of the election, you understand.

"But, rest assured I _am _your president, because the appropriate people of this great nation decided I should be. I _am _your duly elected representative on the world stage. Of course, when the time comes, when my term is up, America will be free to elect a new president, and that person will have our full faith and confidence to carry our collective values forward into the future. Democracy, dear America, democracy now and forever. For now, my America, we must part. Restoring the greatest country in the world to its former glory, well, ha-ha, that takes time. Even for the Enclave. Until we meet again, this is John Henry Eden, signing off."

The radio began playing another cheery, upbeat tune. Lloyd turned and looked at the others. "Enclave… I've heard that name before, I think. Who are they?"

"Supposed to be remnants of the pre-war American government," Harkness said. "They're the ones with those floating robots all over the Capital Wasteland."

"We've seen those before," Amata said. "A few times."

"Yeah, they just play the Enclave radio all the time," Harkness replied. "The Enclave broadcasts their station all over the Capital Wasteland. That president talks a lot about how they're going to fix the United States, but far as I know, nobody's ever seen them or results of their actions. A lot of people think that the robots are outdated remnants of the group and the station nothing more than a series of pre-recorded messages that are still being broadcast throughout the wastes."

"Are we done in here?" Jericho asked, walking in and bumping past the silent Charon.

"Just be patient, Jericho. Let me see what's on this terminal." Lloyd turned back to the computer and began looking through the files. "This is interesting…"

"What is it, Lloyd?" Amata asked, leaning forward.

"A folder of personal notes," he answered. "Individual files are named after dates."

"A journal?" she asked. He nodded. There were six files. He opened the oldest one first and read it to himself, then the next and the next, growing consistently more intrigued.

_"10-02-2276: __I've finally found a quiet place for my family. We've been running from one settlement to the next, just trying to keep out of sight. Now that I'm on the other coast, I feel much safer. The family across the way from us seems pretty decent. Their kid, Bryan, likes to play with my son, which is great. It's hard for Will to make friends because we haven't stayed in one place long enough. Maybe we can finally put down some root here in Grayditch."_

_"10-30-2276: __I was scavenging some of the near buildings for junk to sell and came across a working radio. No sooner did I turn it on than I heard the familiar patriotic anthems they used to play whenever Richardson would give a speech. But this was different. Who the hell is President Eden? When did that happen? Are they on this coast too? Most importantly, will they come looking for me? I hope this journey wasn't a huge mistake."_

_"11-15-2276: __Some scientist named Lesko moved in with the Wilks family across the street. They are helping him make some sort of a structure on the old lot near the diner. Lesko offered to pay me caps if I helped, but I declined. I dunno who he's working for, but I don't think they're still looking for me. Our supplies are running low, and I need to begin foraging for food and some better drinking water. I'd have an easier time if it wasn't for the damn ants. I swear they have a nest around here somewhere."_

_"2-24-2277: __These ants are becoming a real pain in the ass. So much so that I had to take a trip to Megaton and buy a better gun to protect my family. It cost me a small fortune… I had to trade every bit of ant meat I had collected, but it was worth it. I'm teaching Will and Sheila to use it just in case something happens to me. If one of you is reading this, and I'm gone, I keep the gun in the case under my bed in this room."_

_"4-02-2277: __I'm going to have to find a better way to protect Sheila and Will from those ants. Ever since Lesko came to town, I'm certain they're getting more and more aggressive. Wasteland ants are bad enough, but at least you could run away from them. These would seem to pursue you to the ends of the earth if they could. Call me crazy, but I swear I saw one start a fire the other day. I don't know how this could be happening. I've decided to dig up my old sidearm and keep it hidden on me at all times. If those things get too close, I'll blast the antennae right off their ugly heads."_

_"6-17-2277: __I can't believe I went through all that trouble to leave Navarro and make my way across the country just to get stuck in this shithole. I'll be damned if I'm going to die here. Now that we're cut off from Lesko and Wilks, I think we're on our own. The damn ants keep trying to find a way to get inside the house. Even as I'm typing this, I can hear them scraping the walls looking for a way through. I don't know how much longer we can last."_

Lloyd's eyes narrowed. He read the second entry again. A few key words stuck out in his head. "Hey guys, listen to this." He read the entry aloud. "What do you make of that?"

Harkness stepped forward, reading the entry for himself. "From what can be extrapolated from his words, the entry would seem to indicate that the Enclave had a presence on the west coast. His worry about them possibly coming after him tells me that he was affiliated with them in some way, either as an ally or enemy. He doesn't know who John Henry Eden is, but likens his speeches to a 'Richardson' and given the context in which he brings them up, the implication is that Richardson was president during his time on the west coast. He also seems confused about the rise of John Henry Eden to the office of presidency and at their presence here on the east coast."

"I suppose it's no coincidence that the radio is tuned onto the Enclave's frequency," Charon said.

"Not if this man listened to them regularly, no. But given what we just heard from Eden's broadcast a moment ago, it's possible that Richardson's term ended and Eden was elected."

"So, then the Enclave are really here and those aren't just looped recordings," Lloyd realized.

Harkness continued, "In all likelihood, even given these new revelations, the Enclave would have come to the east coast for more than just one man. His fear was likely unfounded. Unless, of course, he was extremely important to them."

Lloyd looked around the room, and saw the bed. He stood up and walked over to it, getting down on all fours and pulling out a heavy metal case from beneath it. "He said he paid a small fortune for a gun in this case," he told them. He tried to open it. "Damn, locked."

"Let me try," Amata said. She knelt down, taking out a bobby pin. A moment later, a small snap was heard, and she uttered a small obscenity. "It's too hard. The lock's a strong one."

"May I?" Harkness asked. She moved aside and let him kneel down. After a moment of what Lloyd assumed was time spent scanning, Harkness put his fingers in various places around the lock and then applied some pressure. A click was heard, and the case opened.

"That's amazing," Lloyd laughed. "How'd you do it?"

"It's a matter of physics. I'll spare you the specifics," Harkness said, waving his hands out. "Let's just say it's all in the fingers."

"Coulda just blown the fuckin' lock off," Jericho said. "Hell, I coulda done it."

"I think that would have been a very bad idea," Lloyd said as he opened the case, "unless you don't like living." Inside the case were a personal missile launcher and a single missile for ammunition. Lloyd whistled. "This baby could do some damage, eh?"

"You should leave it," Charon said. They all looked up at him. "There's only one missile and it's heavy. It would slow down whoever is carrying it."

"Might be useful against a nest of ants," Amata suggested.

"Our weapons have worked fine so far. We are wasting time. You should return to the child," Charon advised. "There're also no bodies in here. The man might still be alive. It wouldn't be right to steal from him."

Lloyd thought for a moment before closing the case. "He's got a point," he admitted.

They left the building, stepping back out into the midday sun. More ants had appeared at the end of the street that saw them and began rapidly approaching. "Oh yeah, finally!" Jericho said as he ran forward, eager for an opportunity to use his new rifle. He let loose, firing at the ants. "You want some? Come fuckin' get some!" He cackled wildly as he blasted them.

The others tried to catch up to him but it was too late. An ant had crawled over the roof and down the wall of the building right next to Jericho, and blasted him with fire. Jericho shouted out as he fell down, the flames rolling over his body. Harkness blasted the ant off the wall with his plasma rifle as Charon and Russ charged to kill the other ants. Lloyd ran up to Jericho and shouted, "Roll! Roll! Roll!"

The raider heard him and began rolling around, using the dirt and dust of the ground to snuff out the flames. A moment later, he was there, smoking slightly. Lloyd wasted no time in injecting him with Med-X and a few stimpaks, and Amata was there to help. They dragged him down the street towards the diner. As they did, another fire ant from around the corner tried to blast them with its fire, coming short by a minor degree. A wave of heat hit them as Lloyd drew his magnum and fired at the ant. The bullet struck the base of its antennae, which seemed to throw it into a frenzied state. The ant clicked and cried wildly as its mandibles and legs moved in random patterns. The ant rolled over. Ignoring it, the two of them quickly pulled Jericho into the diner.

"Kid… kid…" Jericho said. "Get my gun… dropped it when that sonuva bitch burnt me…"

Lloyd didn't reply as he began to treat the thankfully small amount of skin burns Jericho had received. "You're lucky you were wearing such thick armor," Lloyd said. "But we need to remove the burnt parts of it to make sure that it doesn't graft to your skin."

"Do whatever…" Jericho said as he began to ride out the euphoric effects of the Med-X. Lloyd frowned as he instructed Amata in helping him remove the damaged parts of Jericho's metal armor, as well as his eye patch, which was burnt. For the first time, they saw Jericho's non-functioning eye. It was white, with scarred tissue around it. Lloyd considered asking him what happened to it, but decided against it, given the current situation. Outside, Harkness, Charon and Russ had managed to finish off the remainder of the ants. They quickly got back to the diner, covering the entrance and watching out for more ants that might be coming from other directions.

A few minutes later, all was still quiet. Jericho had been patched up and was slumped against the ruined wall of the diner's interior. Lloyd was pacing back and forth. "Goddamnit, Jericho. You can't do shit like that. You can't just… just run off like that and almost get killed." Jericho looked aside and chuckled. "Don't laugh, it's not funny!" Lloyd said. "I said to be careful, and you got careless. Why the hell can't you just listen to orders?"

"Damn, kid, take a fuckin' chill pill. I'm the one who got burnt, not you."

Lloyd fumed. "Damnit, you can't go being a fucking idiot and getting yourself hurt! If you're going to be part of the goddamn group, you hurting yourself hurts the goddamn group!"

Jericho looked up. "And what the fuck do you care, eh? You think I care what you think about me?"

"I care because I'm a fucking human being! Have a little fucking compassion!" Charon grabbed his shoulder and quietly told him to calm down, lest they attract more attention.

"You do shit your way, kid, I'll do shit my way." Jericho coughed up a little blood. "Fuck…"

Lloyd shook his head, and spoke a little softer. "Jericho, we've let you come with us. We've shared with you our food, ammo and shelter ever since we left Megaton. Are you honestly telling us that in all that time, over all that distance covered, after all the crazy shit we've been through, you still won't treat me with some goddamn respect?"

Jericho looked up at him with his one working eye. "Kid…" he began, "you sure like the sound of your own voice, ya know that?" Lloyd was about to give up and walk out of the diner when Jericho continued to speak. "Kid… I'm older than you. Helluva lot more stubborn than you. Seen a lot more shit than you. But never, in my life, have I done or seen the shit I've done and seen while I've been with you. Killin' behemoths, super-healing, fightin' Talon mercs, androids… But you want me to say I fuckin' respect you?" Lloyd was silent, waiting for Jericho to make his point. "You try to talk your way out of fights and bargain with merchants without a gun in their face. When we fight, you say to go slow and be careful instead of doin' it the fun way. I didn't sign on with you so we could be playing Santa Claus out here. Sometimes, you're borin' as hell. But fine… I respect you kid, but I can hardly stand most of the shit you do."

Lloyd silently considered the old raider's words. Nearby, Amata stood unsure of the situation. She was never very friendly with Jericho, and thought the whole problem would be solved if Lloyd just fired him, but didn't say so. "So then why keep following me if I bore you?" Lloyd asked him.

The raider chuckled. "Because, kid, wherever you go, fun follows."

"We need to reach an understanding if we're going to keep this up," Lloyd said. "I'm not out here for fun, Jericho. I'm out here to find my father. You're following me for the second reason. I'm not your free ride to have fun. If I want you to leave, I'll have you leave. If you're going to stick around, you need to listen to what I say."

Jericho shook his head. "Fine, kid, whatever. Enough with the fuckin' lecture. Lesson learned. Can we fuckin' get back to it now?"

Lloyd looked at him, his expression softening. "Well… are you okay to move?"

Jericho grunted as he used a nearby table to lift himself up. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just gimme a cig and I'll be alright."

"Those things will kill you, you know," Lloyd said.

"Kid, don't even fuckin' pretend to tell me about my goddamn cigarettes. You want to tell me to take cover in a fight? Fine. I'll listen to that. Just give me my goddamn cigarettes."

Lloyd shook his head and threw Jericho his last pack of cigarettes before turning around the walking out of the diner. Amata approached him and spoke in a hushed tone. "Lloyd, are you sure about this?" she asked.

Lloyd sighed. "I'm willing to give everyone a second chance, Amata. If he wants to stick around, we'll let him."

She didn't pursue it any further than that. "Alright, Lloyd, I trust your judgment. Should we go back to Bryan now?"

Lloyd looked over at the shack built by Lesko and Bryan's father. "In a minute," he said, walking up to it. "I want to see something." He approached the door and unlocked it using the key he obtained from Bryan's father. The door swung open and he stepped inside. 'Intriguing…' he thought to himself. The interior was definitely a makeshift science lab. There were shelves and boxes, tables with beakers and microscopes, a large empty containment unit for a robot, a small power generator and a desk with a computer on it. Lloyd approached the terminal, which was locked with a password. He frowned as he began an attempt to hack it. The password, whatever it was, was complex.

Amata entered the room and looked around. She didn't say anything, but noticed an audiodisk on a table. She slid it into her Pip-Boy and played it. A nasally voice spoke out, _"This must be the fifth time I'm forgotten my terminal password. I really must learn to be more organized! The password for my terminal is "formicidae." How hard could that be to remember? Note to self: destroy this holotape as soon as move to new lab is complete."_

Lloyd paused as he listened. He turned around in the chair, and said, "Really?" She shrugged in response.

"I guess he forgot to destroy this," Amata said with a smile. "He should've listened to his own advice about being organized."

"Convenient for us…" he said as he typed in the password. The screen buzzed to life as he began searching through the files.

"Interesting," Lloyd said as he brought up a personal note. "Listen to this." He read it aloud to her. _"I realize the dangers involved in tampering with nature. I've heard the rhetoric and the hoopla about "playing God." However, I am determined to reduce these poor things back to their original state when they were harmless. Only through genetic recoding is this possible. All that is needed is a proper test subject. My search continues as I tweak the formula." _He turned around. "Sounds to me like he was working on the ants."

"Trying to make them smaller…" Amata said. "But now they breathe fire. He must be a great scientist," she said as she smiled, but then she stopped when she remembered what happened to Grayditch because of said fire-breathing ants. "Is there more?"

Lloyd turned back and read another file labeled "Sample Location Discovered!" which he quickly read. "Merigold Station," he told her. "Says here that he's set up shop underground in Merigold Station."

"We passed the entrance to that while we were moving through the city," she said. "I guess we have to go inside now, huh?"

"If that man caused all of this, then he's going to have to answer for it," Lloyd told her. "Let's go."

They left the shack to see Jericho, Charon, Harkness and Russ standing near the diner. Looking up at the sky, Lloyd frowned. It was orange with the setting of the evening sun, which signified that night would come soon. The group turned to look at the two as they walked up to them. "Merigold Station," Lloyd said. "The scientist who caused all of this is down there."

"So we find him and blast him, right?" Jericho asked.

"No, Jericho. Not if we don't need to." Lloyd looked over at the personal shelter. "As soon as we talk to Bryan again, we'll get moving." He walked up and opened the shelter. Bryan, who had been sitting down, looked up and smiled.

"Hey, Lloyd," the boy beamed, "did you find anyone?" Lloyd shook his head as he crouched down. Amata walked up behind him.

"No, sorry. But we know where Lesko went." He thought of telling Bryan that Lesko was responsible, but decided against it. "We're going to go look for him. Might be a little while longer."

"I heard you shouting outside. What was wrong?" Bryan asked.

"Nothing, just some trouble that didn't need to happen. Until we come back, will you be alright?" he asked.

Bryan looked down. "I guess so. I mean, I've been alone for a long time now, so I guess I'll be okay a little longer."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "You haven't met our dog, right? What if he stayed with you?"

Bryan looked back up. "You mean it? Is he friendly?"

Lloyd smiled and said, "The friendliest. Russ! Here boy!" he called out. A moment later, the faithful hound ran up and panted happily. He guided him over to Bryan, who excitedly petted the canine and smiled. "Now, if Russ stays with you here in the shelter while we search for Lesko, will you be alright?"

"You bet!" Bryan said. "I like how his eyes are different colors."

The two young adults smiled as they stood up and wished the boy and the dog well before closing the shelter door. As they walked back to the others, Amata spoke to him, "I hope we don't need Russ' nose down underground."

"Me too," he said. "But Bryan could use a friend with him right now."

"Yeah. That shelter looks pretty claustrophobic," she agreed.

"You return. Shall we proceed?" Charon asked as they walked up. They nodded. "Then let us be careful. The underground may contain any number of these creatures."

The group moved to the Merigold Metro Station entrance. They descended the concrete steps and opened the chain-link fence gate. Ahead, darkness loomed. "Lights on," Lloyd said as he and Amata turned on their Pip-Boy's flashlights. "We don't have Russ' higher senses, so let's be extra careful," Lloyd told the group. He looked back at Jericho. "And this time I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just do it already," Jericho said, priming his weapon.

They entered the underground station, which like the other Metro tunnels they had travelled through, was full of debris and difficult, often dangerous, terrain, though the fire-breathing ants were a new threat on top of that. Fortunately, they were never encountered in large groups. Further in, on the first floor they ventured onto, they discovered a decrepit skeleton inside of a booth. Clutched in his dead hands were a pistol and a holotape. Lloyd picked up the holotape and played it on his Pip-Boy.

"_If you're listening to this tape, then my brains are splattered all over a wall somewhere and you've got a job to do. You need to retrieve the package and get it safely to Ronald Laren in Girdershade. Tell him Grady sent you. To get the package, you'll need the key. I've stashed it inside an old fire hose case in some maintenance closet in Marigold Metro Station. The key will unlock the safe that contains the package. Look for the room marked by a spinning light... you can't miss it. Good luck, and hopefully they won't find you too."_

Lloyd looked back at the others. "That's… odd. What do you think he died for?"

"Probably nothing of our concern," Charon said. "We need to keep moving."

Lloyd set the tape down and followed after the ghoul. "You ever get the feeling that there's too much bullshit in the world to handle it all at once?" he asked Amata.

"Usually," she smiled.

They kept travelling through the tunnels, searching for Lesko's laboratory. The number of ants they encountered began to increase, as did their physical durability. Lloyd didn't know much about ants, but he did know that they had workers and soldiers. The larger ants must have been the soldiers, as their armor was tougher and they moved faster. Battling the ants began to become a blur, moving through broken train tunnels and facing ant after ant, until Lloyd and Amata lost count of how many they had killed.

Suddenly, halfway through a tunnel, Charon stopped them. "Shhh…" he said, holding up a hand. "You hear that?" They paused, listening. In the distance, some gunshots rang out. "This way!" Charon said, getting them to follow. Moving past a destroyed train, they came upon a man under attack by multiple fire ants. His skin and clothing were burnt in places, and he wielded a .32 pistol. One of the ants was latched onto his leg and tearing the flesh from him vigorously. Another one blasted his arm with its fire. He shouted and shot at them. Immediately, the group joined the battle and attacked the ants.

When it was over, the man fell back against a wall, bleeding heavily from multiple wounds. Lloyd ran up to the man, just now noticing that he was missing his foot. "Them…" he choked out as they approached, "Them… Them!"

"What?" Lloyd asked. "The ants?"

"Brandice… I'm William Brandice…" he said. His eyes, protected by goggles, were wide and manic. "It took them… It… took… them!"

Lloyd realized that this was the father of Bryan's friend, the man whose personal notes he had read on his terminal when investigating his home. "Sir, may I help you? I have medicine."

"No good…" the man said as a small amount of blood dripped from his mouth. "It's no good… It took them…"

"What took who?" Amata asked.

"It took them… my family… It was… created by… them… the…" he answered, his voice trailing off and growing weaker.

Lloyd shook his head. "What was? Please tell us, so this never happens to anyone else. The what?"

Brandice's eyes seemed to glaze over. "The creature… the thing… it… it's the most horrible thing they've ever made… And it killed them… it'll kill us all…"

"What made… it?" Amata asked.

"The… Enclave…" Brandice breathed heavily. "They came for me… made these things… made it…"

"No," Amata said. "Doctor Lesko made these things."

Brandice suddenly sat up and shouted, "And he works for them! They'll kill us all! They'll destroy the fucking world! I've seen what they can do! They made it and it took them away!" William cried out, his neck muscles straining. "Them… them… them…" Those were his last words as his eyes closed and he fell back, the color drained from his face.

"Christ…" Jericho said. "I've seen people go worse, but he was fuckin' nuts."

"What could he have been talking about?" Amata wondered aloud. "What was the "it" he kept talking about?"

"No idea," Lloyd said. "But again we're back to the Enclave. Could Lesko be working for them? I've seen nothing that points to that."

"We'll know when we find him, won't we?" Harkness said, reloading his plasma rifle. "I get the feeling that we're close. Shall we?"

As they were moving through a north tunnel, they came across a room with a flashing yellow light in front of it. Recognizing it as the one identified on the tape from earlier, Lloyd got them to stop and walked up to it. There was a computer terminal, which for a man of Lloyd's skill was easy to get through. After hacking it and unlocking the door, they found inside a bounty of items; medical kits, ammunition boxes, shelves with metal boxes and a large metal safe. "That must be the safe the recording talked about," Amata said, walking up to it. "Don't think we can unlock it, though."

"Harkness?" Lloyd turned to the android. He shook his head.

"Too tough. That's a real solid material that it's made out of, plus it's a combination lock. The case was easier."

Behind him, Jericho chuckled. "Guess the robot can't do everything."

"I'm not a robot," Harkness reminded him.

Lloyd crouched down by the safe. "Damn. Now I'm really curious about what's in this damn thing, seeing as how one guy got shot over it."

"We should keep moving. This room will not be safe if the ants catch us in here," Charon warned. Lloyd agreed. They began stripping the room of useful items, when Lloyd picked up something from the shelf and held it out for the others to see.

"Now just what is this?" he asked. It looked like a knife, in that it had a handle and a blade, but it was clearly some kind of chainsaw, with smaller blades that would rotate around the larger blade whenever Lloyd pressed a trigger. It would buzz to life, certainly sounding like a chainsaw.

"That's a ripper," Charon explained, "a very nasty weapon."

Lloyd swung it around a few times. "I can see why," he said, imagining its use on an enemy. The weapon fascinated him. "Think it'll come in handy." He slid it into his belt.

Shortly thereafter, they were once more on the move. As they walked down a southern tunnel, a metal door to Lloyd's left suddenly began to open. He aimed his gun, the others quickly mimicking his actions, as the door fully opened and there stood a very surprised man with thick spectacles and a white lab coat. He quickly raised his gloved hands. "Don't shoot!" he said with a nasally voice.

Lloyd slowly lowered his weapon. "Doctor Lesko, I presume?"

The man adjusted his glasses before crossing his arms. "Well, yes, I suppose I am. Doctor Weston Lesko's my name, and I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. What brings you… individuals to my experimental ecosystem down here?"

"Experimental ecosystem?" Lloyd asked as he put away his magnum. "You mean the fire ants?"

"My experiments, yes. They're of a very complex nature and would take, well, a scientist to explain… Oh wait! I am a scientist, how marvelous!" he said. Lloyd and Amata were beginning to see why Bryan's father had called this man an egghead. "My foray into reducing the girth of these insectoid creatures is of the utmost importance. I intend to generationally reduce their immense stature by way of a pre-birth induced mutagen. Isn't that clever?"

His words flew over the heads of everyone, save Lloyd and Harkness. Lloyd said, "Oh, I see. You're trying to make them smaller over time by manipulating the ant eggs."

Lesko's eyes widened. "My word, you understood perfectly! How marvelous!"

"But you are aware that they breathe fire now, right?" Amata pointed out.

"Well, this is rather embarrassing, so you'll have to forgive me," he said as he walked into his lab. They followed. There were various shelves, computer consoles and a chalkboard with notes written on it. Lesko continued, "It appears I've made a, uh, slight miscalculation in my mutagen samples. Instead of lowering the size of the ants, the brood hatched and developed a new biomechanism." He turned to face them. "I call their new genetic aberration "pyrosis;" the ability to emit flame from their bodies! I'd be able to correct the error, were it possible for me to reach my equipment."

Harkness walked around the room, studying the notes and samples, before turning to the doctor and saying, "I'm shocked you didn't attempt this in a controlled environment first."

Lesko turned to the android. "Your knowledge of experimental procedure surprises me," he said, before sighing. "Indeed I may have skipped a step and directly modified an entire brood. Perhaps I was too hasty… but I was so certain it would work. To correct this mistake, I'll need to get to my terminal to modify the mutagen."

"You said that," Lloyd spoke up. "I get it, you need help. What can we do?"

Lesko smiled a slightly crooked smile. "Well since you've offered, allow me to elaborate. My portable terminal is set up in the hatchery chamber near the ant queen. I can continue to work on improving the mutagen."

"If the queen's your concern, why not deal with it directly?" Lloyd asked.

Lesko quickly objected, "No, no, no! If she were harmed in any way, months of data would be lost. Your objective would be to simply eliminate what I call her quintet of next guardians. Filthy little abominations…" he muttered.

"Killing five more ants? Just how will this undo all the mayhem you've caused?" Harkness asked as he stepped forward. Lesko put his gloved hands up and hastily explained.

"I've rigged my equipment set up near my portable terminal to emit what I call an inhibitor pulse. Once I send this pulse, all the remaining ants will lose their empathic link with the queen and frenzy, destroying each other in the process!" He turned to look at the others. "That's all there is to it. What do you say?"

Lloyd considered the man's words. "If it'll stop the ants from burning down Grayditch, I'm in."

"You will?" Lesko asked. "How marvelous!" The group was getting tired of that word. "Be careful my friends, the nest guardians can be quite tenacious."

"What is the nest like?" Harkness asked.

"The tunnels are quite narrow. They're natural stone, burrowed through by the ants. It'll be difficult for you all to get through."

"Then I'll go alone," Harkness said, surprising the others. He pulled out his plasma rifle. "I've got the best weapon for the job. I've noticed that it seems to be more effective against the ants we've encountered up until this point. Plus, it's only five ants, right?" Lesko nodded. "Then I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Lloyd asked. Harkness nodded. "Alright. Here, maybe these'll come in handy." He handed Harkness a few of the explosives he had gotten from the trash bin behind the diner. Harkness thanked Lloyd before moving through the back exit of the laboratory as per the doctor's instructions.

"Nice thinking, sending the robot," Jericho smiled.

"The what?" Lesko asked.

"Nothing," Lloyd was quick to interject. "It's just a joke between them about how he sounds like a robot sometimes, he speaks monotone, you know." After a moment, Lesko bought his bluff. Lloyd turned to Jericho and told him and Charon to watch the front entrance to the laboratory, which they agreed to do. Jericho was personally pleased to be out of the room with the scientist.

Lloyd approached Lesko, intent on getting a few answers from him, and asked, "So, how exactly did you go from changing the size of the ants to them breathing fire?"

"Playing with genetic codes isn't simple… Do you realize that one tiny tweak at any point in the last million years cold have completely changed us? Going from attempting to change their size to accidentally producing their pyrosis ability isn't surprising at all."

Lloyd shrugged. "I suppose, if you put it like that, but it's very random. How can they breathe fire?"

"The stimulation of the subject's evolutionary trigger by the mutagen caused a bio-defensive reaction metamorphosing the ant's venom glands. This process caused unexpected oscillations in the venom molecules at such a vast rate it produces a thermodynamic biochemical reaction. As the subject ejects the volatile solution, it becomes conflagrant due to new structures in its maw I call its calefaction array. Amazing, isn't it?"

"…Yeah. Amazing," Lloyd said as he scratched his head.

"I don't mean to interrupt this enlightening discussion, but we're forgetting something very important," Amata said.

"We are?" Lesko said. "I usually am; it's a fault of mine." He began searching his pockets, looking for whatever it was that Amata was referring to.

Amata shook her head. "No, I'm talking about how your "accident" caused the destruction of Grayditch, the death of four people and you've left Bryan Wilks without a father!"

"Bryan Wilks?" Lesko said. "Far too curious. His incessant questioning would often come when I was the most absorbed with my calculations. He had no regard for the importance of my work."

Lloyd and Amata were flabbergasted at his response. Amata grew angry. "You just completely missed my point! Are you completely unaware of the fact that you ruined his life?"

Lesko's brow furrowed. "You have your ideals and I have mine. I'm down here to complete my experiment at any cost. If that means the loss of a few lives to save generations of lives in the future, it's a small price to pay."

Amata could hardly believe her ears. "You son of a… How can you just rationalize the loss of human life? That's terrible!" Lloyd put a steadying hand on her shoulder, but she didn't calm down. "Can't you at least take responsibility for his father's death?"

"All scientists take responsibility for their failures, because it comes with the territory," he replied, as though it were obvious. "I will take this experimentation to completion without roosting on the moral high ground. If I allow emotions to enter the mix, all this time and energy spent will have been for nothing!"

"I can't believe this guy!" Amata told Lloyd. "You could have at least told Bryan you were alive. He thought he was alone!"

"I can't risk leaving this place… I have to continue monitoring the hatchery for any further mutations in the next brood! I have no time for children and their petty games. What do they know about the importance of my work?"

Amata gritted her teeth. "I should kill you!"

Lloyd firmly shouted, "_Amata!_" She turned to him, surprised. "Don't say that."

"Lloyd, he caused their deaths! It's manslaughter! He has to answer for the crime he committed!"

"Amata, please, just calm down. Getting upset now won't change what's already happened."

"Lloyd, _don't _tell me you're on his side," she said. "Don't you dare tell me that."

He sighed, taking his hands off of her shoulders. "Look, I don't like it any more than you. I really, really don't. Please believe me."

"Then help me! We talked about justice once. This isn't justice! This man caused their deaths and doesn't even care!"

"And what are we going to do, huh? Arrest him? We're not in any kind of position of authority to pass judgment upon him."

"But you know it's wrong!"

"Of course it's wrong! Everything about what happened is wrong! But if this man," Lloyd pointed at Lesko, "can take a giant ant and give it the ability to breathe fire like a dragon, do you seriously doubt that he can successfully make them small again?"

Amata was silent, for only a moment. "That has nothing to do with it," she said.

"It has everything to do with it! He made a mistake, one I am certain he won't repeat again," he said as he cast a sidelong glance at Lesko, "and Bryan had to reap the consequences of it. But think about how many people have been killed by giant ants. Think about how many could be saved if this man were to succeed in his work! Doesn't that alone justify his continued research?"

Lesko, who had been quiet throughout the conversation, completely agreed but kept silent.

"Lloyd, I'm not going to just lay back and let this happen. It's… it's wrong!"

"I'm not asking you to do that, just… just try giving Lesko a second chance."

"And what about Bryan, huh?" Amata asked. "His dad won't be getting a second chance. What about the other people Lesko killed? You can't just say that the need of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"If he can give them pyrosis, he can shrink them. That's a noble cause, even if he's rather emotionless regarding it." Lloyd sighed, and took her hands. "Amata, the most we can do is work with the situation we're given. We can try to help Bryan, and that's all."

She shook her head. "It's not fair, Lloyd."

He pulled her into a hug, which she didn't immediately return. "I know it's not," he whispered. When they pulled away, Amata looked at Lesko.

"You're lucky," she said rather coldly. "But someday, you'll face punishment for what you've done. When you meet your maker, you'll see."

Lesko chortled. "Young lady, the concept of a "god" is actually—"

Lloyd interrupted him. "Lesko, we're not getting into that, so don't make things worse on yourself."

Amata walked out of the room. Lesko waited until she was out of earshot before saying, "I must say, young man, thank you for controlling your friend. I was worried she was going to act on her violent impulses and end my life, but I'm glad you see the truth of my work."

Lloyd looked over at him. "Lesko, I think the work you're doing is great, but personally, you sicken me. And just between us?" he said, walking closer. "She's right. Everything she said is right. And if you fail to make the ants smaller, you will pay for your crimes."

"I won't be threatened," Lesko said. "I already have enough motivation to finish my work. It's been my life's work. The simpleton wastelanders don't understand how vitally important these animals were to the ecosystem once. If I can fix them, then it's one small step towards fixing the world."

"I know that," Lloyd said. "I've heard what you've said. I've listened to every word. The morality present in the situation is enough to make a person sick. It certainly did so for me." Lloyd shook his head. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I don't see why not. You haven't insulted me directly, after all."

"Are you with the Enclave? William Brandice thought you were."

"The Enclave? No, of course not. I don't know a thing about the organization, really, only things I've heard. Why does he think me part of them?"

"He was affiliated in some way with the Enclave once," Lloyd answered, "on the west coast. He fled and came here, and began to think that you had been sent here by them to kill him, or create the ants. We encountered him in the tunnels down here, where he died due to wounds sustained."

"Well, I can assure you that his paranoia concerning me was unfound. I always wondered why he was so rude to me, but I never imagined that would be the reason."

"Yeah… I should get out to Amata. Harkness should be back soon." Lloyd left to find Amata and soothe things over with her a little more.

When he exited the lab, he discovered that Charon had gone off alone to do some scouting in some of the hallways of the metro station. This annoyed Lloyd, as he thought Jericho's earlier example would have been enough to deter any thoughts of going off alone. But he didn't think Charon would make any mistakes, as the ghoul had proven himself to be very competent in the past.

As Lloyd sat with Amata, Charon returned to them. Nearby, Jericho scowled, perhaps having wished something bad would happen to the tall ghoul. Charon walked up to Lloyd. "I discovered something interesting," he reported. He pulled out a key, explaining, "I found this in a fire hose box."

A light bulb went off in Lloyd's head. "Hey, this must open the safe in that room!" he said, taking the key. "Is this why you went off?"

"No. I thought I heard something, but I didn't find anything. I did find that, however."

"Good work, Charon," Lloyd said as he sat back down. "Let's just wait for Harkness now."

A short while later, Harkness returned. He emerged from the doctor's laboratory, closing the door behind him. "I gave the doctor a full report. I was successful in eliminating the queen's guardians, which proved to be a rather easy task."

"I don't doubt it, for one like you," Lloyd said as he smiled and stood up. Amata stood up as well, and Charon and Jericho approached the three of them. "Something odd, though. There were only four guardians."

"Are you sure?" Amata asked. "You didn't miss one of them?"

Harkness shook his head. "I spent a fair amount of time in the hatchery, looking through every corner. There were only four guardians."

"Maybe Lesko just miscounted," Lloyd said. "What was the hatchery like? The queen?"

"The hatchery was a cavern; quite moist. The guardian ants were larger and hairier than any other ant we've seen up until this point. But the queen was the largest, with wings and a big pulsating egg sack."

"Okay, okay, enough ants," Amata said, holding her hands out. "This whole place has made me sick. Let's get back to Bryan."

"Real soon," Lloyd promised her. "Let's just see what's in that safe." Amata sighed.

"Fine, but let's hurry."

"Of course," he replied.

They backtracked to the room, which wasn't too far away. They entered it, and Lloyd quickly moved to the safe and opened it.

"Well, what is it?" Charon asked as Lloyd stood up and turned around, a blank look on his face. It was a pair of men's pajamas made out of leopard skin.

Jericho began laughing. Harkness cocked his head and Amata said, "This is what that man died for?"

"Who the hell would kill someone over these?" Lloyd wondered aloud.

Suddenly, a voice from outside the room rang out. A desperate-looking man in raider clothing, wielding an assault rifle, shouted at them, "I'm only going to as once! Drop the naughty nightwear!"

Lloyd stuck his head around the corner and the others stood behind him. "…And you are?" Lloyd asked, still holding the apparently-named "naughty nightwear."

"I warned you that I was only going to ask once. Now I'm going to take it from you!"

As he raised his rifle, Charon blasted him once in the head with his shotgun. The man fell dead.

For about ten seconds, nobody said nor did anything. Finally, Lloyd broke the silence.

"What the fuck just happened?"

"Do you want a literal answer?" Harkness asked.

"No, not really. I have questions but I doubt even you could give me a satisfying explanation, Harkness."

"I very much doubt that as well," the android replied.

* * *

The shelter door opened, and Bryan and Russ looked up, seeing Lloyd and Amata. As before, Jericho, Charon and Harkness had spread out. Jericho and Charon weren't that great with kids, and Harkness' latent abilities could allow him to watch for trouble more than the others.

"Is it over?" he asked. Lloyd smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. It's over." They both knelt down to pet Russ, who was lying contentedly in Bryan's lap.

"We're just glad you're safe, Bryan," Amata said.

"I wish I had something to give you guys for all the work you did, but I never really had much to start with. I guess… now you'll be on your way and I'll have to try living here by myself." Their smiles vanished as Lloyd and Amata looked at each other. Bryan continued, "I hope you'll come back and visit someday."

Lloyd paused for a moment, his brow furrowed, before saying, "We can't leave you here alone, Bryan. We won't. Let us help you find a new home."

The boy's face brightened. "Really? You mean it?" Lloyd nodded, assuring him. "Oh boy, thank you so much!" Russ barked happily. Bryan's smile lessoned as he said, "But… I need to bury my papa before we leave. Can we do that?"

"Of course we can," Amata said. "We'll… bury him."

"Okay. So what happened to the rest of the ants?" Bryan asked.

Suddenly, Russ' head shot up.

Not noticing, Lloyd answered Bryan. "We found Lesko. We helped him and he was able to send out a kind of a signal that should drive all the remaining ants crazy."

Russ' ears twitched a little and he whined.

"Oh, that's cool. So all the ants are dead now?"

Russ tried to disentangle himself from the three of them. He walked out of the shelter and about five feet forward. His ears and head were straight up, and he was whining. Lloyd looked over. "What's wrong, boy?" he asked. Then, Russ began barking and snarling, seemingly at nothing.

"You think he senses danger?" Amata asked Lloyd as her hand closed around her SMG.

"I… don't know…" Lloyd said as he looked at the barking Russ. The dog was now looking around, craning his neck in various directions, as if searching for whatever had set him off so badly.

"Lloyd, I'm detecting something," Harkness said from a small distance away. "Vibrations in the ground!"

"An earthquake?" Lloyd wondered aloud.

Jericho and Charon, who had been leaning against a brick wall nearby, began to feel it as well. They all began to hear a cracking noise and then Lloyd felt the ground beneath his feet shift ever so slightly. A rolling, churning noise could be heard from beneath the ground.

"Lloyd!" Amata called out, holding onto Bryan, "What's going on? What is it?"

He didn't have an answer for her. He watched then as the concrete of the road suddenly split; a large crack formed that travelled up the street, then up the side of the building, its windows cracking and shattering. Lloyd watched in morbid amazement as the road began to move apart, the two large chunks separating as the building itself began to crumble in half. Sand, dust and dirt shot out of the gap as it suddenly and without warning expanded, reaching all the way to the diner at the end of the street. They all heard the noise much louder and clearer now, and there was something else, a strange clicking and screeching that grew in frequency. The crack now effectively separated Lloyd, Russ and Harkness from Amata, Bryan, Charon and Jericho. The point at where the crack had begun suddenly surged upwards, with the remnants of the road cracking and falling apart and then falling down into the large fissure that was forming. Then, like a baby chicken finally pushing itself out of its egg, the earth surged upwards one last time and fell away, revealing to their eyes the terrifying source of the quake.

It was the size of two city liner buses. Its hide was dark and dirty and every bit of it, save for its large, black, soulless eyes, was covered in thick hairs. Its six legs and its massive, madly twitching antennae were just as hairy. From its head emerged two large, scythe-like mandibles that contained within them a human ribcage, which it dropped, the bones landing in the dirt below. Everything about this colossal insect was disgusting to human sensibility and terrifying to behold. It was an ultimate perversion of nature, not unlike the gargantuan super mutant they had once encountered and inadvertently killed. The monster lifted its head and released a line of fire into the air that reached an incredible distance. Lloyd didn't doubt that one blast of the flames could conflagrate an entire building with ease.

The creature met every single prerequisite for a bug-hater's worst nightmare, and the first thing it saw when it emerged and met the fading light of day was Amata and Bryan, huddled in fear near the personal shelter. It seemed to emit a high-pitched cry as it moved towards them, its legs stabbing the ground and kicking up dirt and rocks as they worked in a coordinated effort to carry the creature to its next meal. Thick, clear, viscous streams of saliva coated and dripped from its frantic mandibles.

Lloyd acted quickly, pulling out his rifle and firing at the ant. The sound of his gunfire shook Jericho and Charon out of their stupor and they raised their weapons against the monster with him. It didn't work, though; their bullets bounced off of its tough armor like pebbles thrown against a boulder. Amata did the only thing she could think to do; she picked up Bryan and ran into the personal shelter, closing the door and hoping for the best. Russ ran up to the ant's hindmost leg and bit into it, holding on with all of his strength even though he had no effect. As the ant picked up the leg Russ was biting, he was flung aside, landing with a yelp.

Lloyd looked around, seeking Harkness. He had vanished. Why had he run away? Lloyd knew his plasma rifle would be more effective against its armor than their bullets. The ant reached the shelter and its mandibles closed around it, bending the metal. It tried to pick it up, but it couldn't uproot it. It continued pulling and Lloyd could hear the metal bending and snapping. It infuriated him to no end, making him feel helpless and unable to defend the love of his life and an innocent child from this force of atomic-mutated nature. He began formulating a plan as fast as his panicked mind would allow him to think. He took off his backpack and began rifling through it, looking for anything useful. As he pulled out a landmine an idea came to him, but he didn't know how he could execute it.

Just then, Harkness emerged from the Brandice household, kicking down the door. He held the missile launcher, loaded and ready to fire. He lined up a shot, aiming directly beneath the creature, and fired. The missile soared through the air with a hissing sound as it hit its exact mark and impacted on the ground underneath the creature's belly, its explosive force surging outwards in all directions. The monster's head reared up, tearing off the upper half of the shelter, then it fell back onto the ground, its six legs sprayed out. It wasn't dead, though, only stunned.

Lloyd knew this was his chance. Taking an extremely brief moment to ensure that he had a grenade on his belt, he put the landmine in his mouth, biting down on it hard as he charged forward and leapt onto the head of the monster, landing amongst its thick hair. He reached out with his free hand to grab anything he could to support himself and ended up grabbing onto the base of one of its antennae. The monster screeched as it pulled itself back up to its feet, dropping the torn half of the shelter from its maw and shaking its head. Lloyd grunted as he pulled himself up onto the ant's head, wrapping his legs around the antennae. Charon and Jericho stopped firing when they saw Lloyd on its head. Harkness lowered the empty missile launcher as he tried to discern what Lloyd was doing. From inside the shelter, the thankfully unharmed Amata and Bryan looked up to see the head of the giant ant with Lloyd atop it.

'This is seriously crazy. What the hell am I even doing?' he thought to himself as his free hand reached onto his belt and gripped the ripper. He pulled it out and pressed the trigger and the knife-like chainsaw roared to life, buzzing as its teeth cycled around the blade. 'This is the stupidest thing I've ever done!' He slammed the ripper into the head of the ant, right into its eye and began carving a hole. Sickly yellow fluid dripped out of the black eye as Lloyd cut into it. The ant howled in pain as it turned around, still shaking its head in a desperate attempt to get this terrible pain to end. It let out another blast of flame, which Jericho and Charon had to roll to avoid. The stream of fire covered half of the street, setting all of its buildings ablaze, including Bryan's old home. The monster's mandibles clicked maddeningly as it tried to tilt its head and scrape Lloyd off with one of its large legs.

Lloyd thought he would bite the landmine in his mouth in half. It was like a roller coaster ride from hell, and he was hanging on for dear life. He continued sawing a hole into the large eye, covering his weapon and hand in the yellow ooze, until he finally believed the hole was large enough. With all of his focus, he slid the ripper back into his belt and primed the explosive on the mine, swinging his arm down and throwing the explosive into the hole he had carved in its eye. He then took the grenade off of his and prepared to pull the pin with his thumb.

The monster let another howl of pain and protest as it reared its head upwards. Lloyd held the grenade high and cried, "Yeah, and fuck you, too!" as he pulled the pin out and tossed it into the eyehole. He realized then that he hadn't really thought of a plan as to how he was going to get down from the ant. In that moment of confusion, his grip loosened just as the ant flung its head to one side wildly, which sent Lloyd flying into the second floor of a building, breaking through a window.

Then, the ant's head exploded from the inside, showering the immediate area around it with yellow guts and bits of chitin. The rest of the body slumped to the ground, still and lifeless. From inside the building, Lloyd could hear the faint sounds of some of the others cheering. His vision was swimming, and fading. He touched his forehead, seeing blood when he looked at his hand. He looked down at his legs, one of which was bent in the wrong direction. "Oh… that's awesome," he said as his head fell back and everything went dark.

* * *

Lloyd's eyes slowly opened. He recognized the metal roof above his head, or at least he thought he did. His vision was still blurred, and he couldn't talk very well. Suddenly, a figure appeared beside him. As his vision began to clear, he saw that it was Amata with a smile on her face.

"'Bout time you got up," she said. "I was worried we'd be here for a long time."

"Where… are we?" he weakly asked.

"Megaton. It's our house," she said, brushing a few strands of his hair sticking to his forehead. "We dragged you here after you killed the ant. It's the afternoon. You were out all night and all morning."

Lloyd closed his eyes and thought as hard as he could. "Ant's dead?"

"Yup," she answered. "You did one hell of a number on him. It didn't even have a head anymore."

"My stuff… backpack…"

"We got all of it, don't worry," she said. "Trust me, you were a lot harder to find than your backpack was. Now tell me, how do you feel?"

Lloyd breathed slowly a few times. He felt a dull pain in a few places and some minor aches. "Alright…" he said. "I think I messed up my leg…"

"I wouldn't worry about it. Moira fixed it up good after an examination."

"Moira…?"

"Moira Brown, remember? We helped her work on her book."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah… she examined my leg?"

"She said she'd like to, for research on the book," Amata said with a smile. "She's got a real one-track mind."

"I'll say. What about Bryan?" he asked.

"He's sitting downstairs with Russ. He came with us back to Megaton," she explained. "The ant, the big one, burned down his old house. We couldn't reach his father's body, so we had nothing to bury."

Lloyd nodded. "I'm sorry for that…"

"Don't be. I'm just glad that we ended up alright."

"You two aren't hurt?" he asked.

"The only thing that got hurt was the personal shelter."

"Yeah… So I was really unconscious, huh?" he asked. She nodded. "Wow… I haven't been unconscious in a while."

"At least three days," she quipped.

Lloyd chuckled. "Say, Amata, one thing's on my mind."

"What's that?"

"Why the hell was there a fire ant the size of a building?"

She shook her head and shrugged. "We have no idea. Harkness said that the giant ant looked like one of the five nest guardians, but he only killed four, and they weren't nearly as large as that one. He theorized that one of the guardians might have left the nest and been exposed to something that made it grow much larger and caused it to permanently leave the queen's side. The pulse that Lesko sent may have sent it into a frenzied state."

"Oh… okay," Lloyd said. "I suppose that explanation's as good as any other. So what is that, the second giant mutated creature we've killed?"

"Third, if you count the first behemoth I blew up," she reminded him.

"Of course, of course, how could I forget," he replied. "Though, if you think about it, since the giant red super mutant killed itself, and you killed the behemoth, and I killed the ant, we're about even."

She laughed a little. "Okay. We're even." Lloyd smiled warmly as she leaned over to give him a kiss. "I'm really glad you're alright, Lloyd. I was worried about you."

"You have no idea how good it is to see your face," he said, then fell silent for a short moment. "So… Megaton, huh? Any problems there? You know, because of the terms we left on."

She smiled and shook her head. "We've been getting nothing but nice treatment since we showed up at the gate. Everyone heard our broadcast on G.N.R. in the saloon, and I guess they've softened up on us a bit. Oh yeah, and Lucas wanted to talk to us whenever you woke up."

"Simms? The sheriff?" He looked back. "Wonder what for."

"Something he wanted to talk to us both about, said it wouldn't be fair to talk to only one of us at a time."

"Interesting. So… how long will I be held up?" He looked down at his leg, covered by a sheet.

"Well, after Moira examined and fixed up your leg as best she could, using some homebrewed medicine of hers, Harkness theorized that your leg would heal very quickly. About a day and a half before you can walk again, maybe." She smiled. "You're lucky, Lloyd."

"Don't I know it." He blinked a few times and then sat up. "So, anything else I should know about? How're Jericho, Charon and Harkness? Where are they?"

"Jericho's at Moriarty's, Charon's standing guard outside our house. Harkness is doing something with Moira, last time I checked. I think he was using her workbench to repair his shoulder. She's a member of the android railroad, believe it or not. Get this, Lloyd: her bodyguard, the guy always hanging out in the corner of her shop? He's an escaped android too."

"Really? Never would have guessed. I suppose that's the point, huh?" He moved to get out of the bed, before Amata put her hands on his shoulders.

"No, Lloyd, you're not ready to move yet," she warned.

"Let me be the judge of that," he said, gritting his teeth and standing up. He was only in a white tee and boxers. His neck strained slightly and his hands were balled into fists, but he could stand. "Little stiff… but I'm alright."

"Lloyd, maybe you should lay down a bit more," she said, concerned. She stood next to him. "It couldn't hurt to have more rest."

"Sorry, Amata, I know but I hate laying down when there's work to do."

"Lloyd, you really should go back to bed."

He looked at her, smiling. "I appreciate your concern, Amata, but really, I'm fine. It'd take more than that to take me down."

"Well, you're certainly not lacking in confidence or arrogance," she said, laughing a little bit. Fine, if you can walk, walk. I won't stop you; just don't expect me to catch you if you trip."

"Hey," he said, pulling her into a hug. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me."

Her attitude faded and she laughed. "I know, it's just that… things have been a little crazy lately, well, they've always been crazy since we came out here, and I was hoping we could just… calm down for a bit. Give it some time, you know? For things to settle."

"I know what you mean," Lloyd said. "Stuff happens at an alarming rate out here in the wasteland. Hell, on our way out from Rivet City we never anticipated having to deal with giant fire ants." He paused before adding, "But… you're probably right. We should just wait a little bit."

She sighed in relief. "Okay. I'm glad, Lloyd. Maybe just a day?" she asked.

He nodded. "That sounds fine." He looked around the mostly-empty room. "Say, where's my armor?"

"Downstairs in our locker. The hole in the chest has been patched up, too."

"Oh, good." He moved towards the door of their room, with a slight but noticeable limp. With Amata's help, he moved down the stairs. Bryan was there, playing a small game of fetch with Russ with an old baseball. He looked up and smiled widely.

"Lloyd!" he said, jumping to his feet. He ran up to the two of them. "I'm really happy that you're okay, Lloyd! You were awesome! You jumped up on the ant's head and made it explode and it was so awesome!"

Lloyd smiled. "I guess it was, wasn't it?" He looked over at their locker. "Excuse me, Bryan; I need to get my armor on. I'm feeling a little bare."

Bryan laughed and ran outside with Russ. "He's doing a lot better," Amata said. "Ever since he came here. He's made fast friends with Maggie and Lucas' son."

"Really?" Lloyd said as he opened the locker and began retrieving his things. "So, what do you think about him? Will Bryan just stay here in Megaton?" he wondered.

Amata leaned up against the wall. "We're not quite sure what else to do. I asked him if he had any other family, but he said he couldn't remember. He knows that his father had siblings, but he didn't know them very well."

Lloyd nodded. "Hmm. So… I guess he _does _stay in Megaton, then. He can't just live here, alone. He needs someone to watch out for him."

"Billy volunteered. I think he can be trusted, seeing as how he looks after Maggie. And I told the story of what really happened in Grayditch to a few people. Jenny Stahl will give Bryan free food."

"You've certainly been busy," Lloyd commented.

"One of us had to be," she teased. "And the people of Megaton have been very nice as well. We've been donated ammo, food and medicine."

"What, seriously? Donated?" Lloyd said, shooting her an incredulous look. She nodded.

"Yeah. I'm just walking around and sometimes I'm approached by a person who just gives me charity," she told him.

"Well, how do you like that," Lloyd said, whistling a little. "I missed Megaton."

"You know, in a weird way, I did too. The people here are nice, and it's not as claustrophobic as Rivet City, not that the people there weren't nice, I mean."

"I know what you mean," he said. "This place was kind of like our first home once we left the vault." Having dressed himself continually throughout their conversation, he finished putting on the last piece of the armor, leaving the harness inside the locker.

"So, should we go see Lucas?" she asked once he had finished suiting up. He nodded in response.

They exited their home and moved through Megaton. Choice faces and random settlers stopped to greet Lloyd, wish him well, and thank him and Amata for all the two of them had done. They found Lucas near the entrance to the settlement, and he smiled when he saw Lloyd up on his feet.

"Good to see you're alright, boy," Lucas said, clasping his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Thought you might be hung out to dry for a while, there."

Lloyd smiled. "Nice to see you as well, Lucas. How've things been in Megaton?"

"They've been much worse," Lucas said. "We've been doing better than usual lately. Less raider attacks, cleaner water. This town owes you and your girl a lot."

"No need to remind me, Lucas, I might end up developing a super-ego," Lloyd joked.

The sheriff smiled and said, "I hope not. But there's something I'd like to talk to you two about. If you'll kindly follow me," he invited, leading them back to his home. They entered the dim living space, and Lucas poured himself a glass of whiskey. He offered to pour some for them, but they respectfully declined.

"We're not much of a drinker, either of us," Lloyd clarified. Lucas nodded and gestured for them to sit at a table, which they did. He sat himself opposite the two of them.

"There's a nasty bit of business I need to talk to you two about," he told them.

They looked at each other. "What is it?" Amata asked.

"There was a firefight outside of Rivet City with Talon Company. You were there, you were their target," Lucas said.

Grimly, Lloyd recalled it and gave a despondent, "Yeah."

"Some people died; a security guard and a couple of caravan guards." They didn't respond. They weren't quite sure how they would. Lucas continued, "But, I hear that the Talon mercs were killed by you two and another member of the Rangers. Reilly's Rangers are good people, even if they mostly stick to themselves. They've got their own agenda and their own business, and they aren't nearly the size of Talon Company, certainly not large enough to fight them." Lucas set his glass down on the table, and looked at the two of them. "You remember what we talked about before you left Megaton?" he asked.

"We do," Lloyd answered for the both of them. "Talon Company, Burke, Littlehorn, others."

"You two are caught up in a conflict. There're factions at play here. You two joined the Rangers, and brought them into it. But that's not entirely a bad thing. We could use their help in the long run."

"We don't want to bring trouble to anyone else," Amata said.

"But you will. It's the sad truth of it, but there's a bounty on your heads. A hefty one. Wherever you go, trouble will follow. But you need to know that there are people who will help you, that you're not alone in this fight." Lucas stood up, and began to pace. "You know, it's hard to find good people. It's damn near impossible. The lower road is so easy that many folks walk it and never look back." He stopped, looking at them. "You two are good. Very good. You impressed the Rangers enough for them to recruit you, risking their own lives in the process. You bring trouble wherever you go, but that's the burden of responsibility for people like us. We walk a fine line of fixing problems and causing them. But alone, you wouldn't be able to handle it." Lucas paused to drink. "So let me get to the point. We want you two to join the Regulators."

"Are you sure?" Lloyd asked. "I mean, we don't know a lot about them."

"Wasteland justice is a difficult thing," Lucas said, sitting back down. "It can be interoperated in a lot of different ways by a lot of different people. Sometimes, not everyone has the best idea of what wasteland justice means. People get hurt. Innocents die. But you two, I can see, know what's important and how justice should be dealt. And maybe you don't care about it as much as some people do, and that's alright. What's important is that you're good-natured people who would stand up for the innocent and fight evil in all its forms. But you need allies in this fight, people who you can call on in your time of need, people who will answer that call. You've proven yourselves to be worthy of joining. We have a leader, that's Sonora Cruz, and a headquarters. I'm prepared to give you everything you need to help us help you win this fight."

They were taken aback by just how passionate Lucas was about the eradication of evil from the Capital Wasteland. "Well… of course we'll help," Lloyd replied. He looked at Amata. "Right?"

She put her hand to her head. "I don't see how we can't. We're always going up against the bad guys so we might as well join the good guy's team."

Lucas clapped his hands together. "Well then, good. There's not a lot you need to do, just keep doing what you were already doing. If you'll let me look at your arm consoles there, I'll mark the location of our headquarters of your map and input our radio frequency."

"Lucas, just one thing," Lloyd said. "If we're going to join the Regulators, does that mean that we'll be called to fight for them when the time comes? When the Regulators move against Talon Company and Littlehorn?"

"We don't know if that time will ever come," Lucas answered. "Talon Company's numbers are large, and we still don't know where Littlehorn's base of operations is. But if that time does come, we will merely ask you to help us fight for the justice of the wasteland, not force you."

After a moment, Lloyd said, "Alright. We're honored, Lucas." He looked to Amata, who seemed uneasy, but didn't object to joining.

"So are we," Lucas said with a smile.

* * *

Outside of Megaton, hidden well behind a series of large rocks, Sam Warrick lied in wait with his sniper rifle trained on the entrance to the walled settlement. He was well out of the line of sight of its front guard, who he didn't care much for. No, he was after the Wandering Pair, specifically Lloyd and specifically the sniper rifle he carried. He had spent a long while tracking them down, and saw them on their way to Megaton out from Grayditch. He hadn't enough time to get a clear shot, but he knew that Lloyd couldn't stay in there forever.

The rifle, his trophy, would be his. He had planned this out, taken every precaution needed. He had food and water and was willing to wait for days, however long it took the two vault dwellers and their cohorts to leave. He had also set traps around his perimeter: bear jaws, wire alarms and landmines. He wouldn't be disturbed by anything, wildlife or otherwise. Once Lloyd was in his sight, he would shoot every single one of them in the head and then claim his prize. It would be risky, and he would have to move very fast and take them all out within seconds of each other, but he knew he was the best sniper in the Capital Wasteland. There was absolutely no escaping Lloyd's fate, and it filled him with no end of sadistic glee. Soon, he would have the sniper rifle of Arkansas, the weapon he had coveted for so long.

He heard something. He turned his head to his shoulder and looked up, finding himself staring down the barrel of a magnum six-shooter. The man holding it wore a brown leather trench coat and a fedora. Sam didn't recognize his face. "No…" he said, barely more than a whisper. It wasn't possible. Nobody was that quiet. He would have heard him approach. His traps would have gone off. No, it wasn't going to be like this. It couldn't be like this. Nobody snuck up on Sam Warrick, it had never happened. He was better than this. Who was this man who could just walk up to him and point a gun at his head? No. It wasn't going to end like this. If he was fast enough then maybe—

He wasn't. The man fired, and Sam Warrick, and his particular brand of injustice and manhunting, was laid to waste. Sam's body was well-hidden. It was unlikely that he would be found anytime soon. As far as the wasteland would be concerned, Sam Warrick will have vanished, just like the mysterious stranger who had killed him and then vanished like dust in the wind.

* * *

True to Lloyd's word, they stayed in Megaton for a day. They spent time going around and reconnecting with the various people they had met when they first came to Megaton, like Moira, Billy, Walter and Gob. They watched as Bryan played with Maggie, and they helped Moira with her research by answering a few questions, namely about the fire ant scenario and how they were able to end it. Harkness also proved to be a very valuable research assistant for Moira, providing her with insight into the human biology and the effects of radiation on a human being, which she said would greatly benefit her survival guide.

It was later in the day, while they were walking along one of Megaton's upper walkways, when they were approached by a young woman, perhaps only a year or two older than they were. She wore a sleeveless leather jacket with a white shirt beneath and she had blond hair. "Excuse me," she said, getting their attention. She held one arm behind her back and seemed slightly unsure of herself as she spoke to them. "I was wondering if you could help me."

"What with?" Lloyd asked.

"Well… You see, I missed you guys on your first visit to Megaton, and I was worried you wouldn't come back. Now that you guys are here, and you have others who follow you and help you, I'd never let it go if I at least didn't try to ask for your help, but if you're busy, or have other plans, really, I'd understand," she told them.

"If it's important, we'll help you," Lloyd assured her. "Just tell us what's wrong."

"I'm looking for someone to take me to Arefu. It's a settlement north of here, built on top of a bridge that crosses what's left of the river. It's where I'm from; I came here to settle down, but… I think something's gone wrong there."

"Why do you think that?" Amata asked.

"It's just that I've been sending letters to my parents and brother, and they've been writing back, but it's been four months since I sent them a letter and they haven't replied. I asked about the courier who took the message to them, and they told me he never showed up again. I tried sending another, and the same thing happened. The message service won't send any more of their men up north anymore with the caravans, and I hear even they're staying out of the area. Nobody's heard anything from Arefu since, and I'm very worried."

"What do you think could have killed the two couriers?" Lloyd asked. "Or what's keeping Arefu from contacting anyone themselves? Or, for that matter, what's scared the caravan owners?"

The girl shrugged, seeming helpless. "I have no idea. It could be anything, but whatever it is, it isn't good. I need to know if my family is safe. My parents and my little brother are the only people I really have in the world."

"How far north is it?" Lloyd asked. Amata looked at him.

"Only a day," she quickly answered. "If we started in the morning we'd reach there just before night."

"Lloyd… Are we sure we want to put our plans on hold?" Amata asked. "As Charon would put it, I mean, this is a delay." The woman's heart seemed to sink a little, which they both noticed in her slumped shoulders. Amata quickly added, "Not that it's not worth our time, it's just that we're trying to find Lloyd's father."

"Yeah… we are," Lloyd said. He looked at the woman. "But I'm not about to turn away a person in need. We'll help you, miss…"

"Lucy West," she said with a smile, holding out her hand to shake. They both shook it. They agreed to meet her near the entrance to Megaton early on the following morning. As they parted, Amata spoke to Lloyd.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked him, ever the voice of concern.

"It should only take a day," he told her. "And who knows? Maybe it'll be interesting."

"Need I remind you that the last interesting thing we found ourselves involved in ended with a giant fire ant trying to eat us?" she replied.

"So maybe we'll get lucky and this won't be _as _interesting as the usual stuff," he said with a smile. "She needs help. We're the kind of people who help other people, according to Lucas and the Regulators."

"Yeah, sure, but that doesn't mean we have to take every single request we get," she pointed out.

He stopped and looked at her. "Amata, I know you trust me, but if you truly don't want to do this, I won't. I don't want to do anything to make you uncomfortable, you know that."

"No, Lloyd, I want to help her as much as you do, it's just… I don't want us, I don't want _you, _to take too long in finding your father. If something happens to him or to us… I just can't stand the thought of us being out here and doing everything we've done… for it to end up being all for nothing."

He smiled and took her hands. "It's not for nothing. I promise you." He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, before pulling back and adding, "Someday, all of this pain, all of these trials and obstacles; someday this will all be worth it. I know it will."

As they walked back to their house, Lloyd's arm draped over her shoulders, she smiled and said, "Maybe you're right, about Arefu. Maybe it's just a raider problem. We've solved plenty of those."

"See? It's probably nothing we haven't faced before."

* * *

Night had fallen. The moon was in its new phase and offered no light. Not far north of Megaton, just south of the settlement of Arefu, a young woman by the name of Karen Schenzy was running for her life. Arefu, and her home, was located at the apex of a very large concrete bridge that only spanned halfway across the river. The rest of it had broken. She was running for her life to the top of the bridge, to the safety of her home, and being closely pursued every step of the way.

The creature was behind her. With a smile on its face, it dived after her, grabbing her legs and causing her to fall down. As she kicked and screamed, it climbed atop her, turning her around. In the dark of night, she couldn't see its man-like face. His skin was pale, his eye sockets dark and his hair dirty and black, and his eyes were so terribly bloodshot they appeared red. His black lips curled around his teeth—more akin to fangs really, as they were sharp and pointed. And his tongue, perhaps the worst part of it all, was split at the end, not unlike a snake's.

She screamed and punched out, landing a solid blow on his face. He only smiled as he raised a hand that, at the end of each finger was set a metal claw, sharp and shining like steel. He was about to swipe at her face with those claws, taking her pretty features with them, when suddenly a blast of light hit the ground near him. It was a flare, and it burned his eyes. He looked up, seeing a man standing there, holding the flare gun. "Get off her you monster!" he shouted.

The man hissed before falling back and running away with considerable speed. He vanished when he leapt over a large rock in a display of athletics no normal human could match. The man, Evan King, quickly rushed to the aid of the woman, and told her to get back up to the town and lock herself into her home. She didn't need to be told twice. Tonight's encounter had nearly dissuaded her from ever leaving her home again. Evan King walked back up the bridge leading to Arefu slowly, keeping his eye and his weapon trained on the direction the monsters would come from.

And he knew they would come, as they always did. In the distance, the one he had scared let out a cry, and others in the area soon joined him in an unholy, terrifying chorus that rattled the man to his spine.

He quickened his pace back to the safety of his barricade.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	14. The Things we do for Family

Amata stirred. She shifted slightly in the bed, rolling onto her side. Slowly, her eyes opened and that's when she realized she was alone in bed. Quickly pulling the covers over herself, she sat up and tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness. "Lloyd?"

"I'm here," he said quietly. He was nearby, most likely no more than five feet away. She heard him move and then her eyes were stung by a bright flash of light as he turned on the light bulb that hung from the ceiling.

"Damnit, Lloyd!" She covered her eyes, squinting through small gaps in between her fingers as she tried to see him. Though her vision was blurred, she could see him sitting down at the desk that was in the corner of their room.

"Sorry, should've warned you," he apologized in a soft tone. He was silently patient as she slowly regained her eyesight. He was wearing a t-shirt and boxer shorts and sat with one elbow on the table, cupping his chin with his palm. He seemed distracted; his eyes seemed to be staring at something far away and his silence invited her curiosity.

Ever perceptive of his mood, she asked, "Lloyd? Something wrong?" as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

He absent-mindedly shook his head. "No," he replied, "nothing is wrong. Not with me, anyway." Then, once another moment of silence had passed, he added, "I just wonder sometimes about the world we live in. How… after all we've seen out here, we still don't know what's next."

"Well… maybe that's a good thing," she said. "I mean, if we knew the future, what if we didn't like what's going to happen to us?"

Lloyd smiled. "Impossible. If we saw the future, we'd try to change it, setting off an entire new series of events, changing the future. Our vision of the future would be constantly changing, unless you believe in predestination against free will, in which case no matter what we did the future would come true."

"Well fine, smart mouth," she teased, "I was just saying."

"I know, I know. But I would like to know what's next, if only to give us a chance to prepare ourselves. I don't know what lies in our way between us and my father. Or even what comes after we find him. Vault 101? The Capital Wasteland? Project Purity? The future is unclear, and I… I don't like it."

"Do you have doubts about what we're doing out here?" she asked. He quickly shook his head.

"No… It may sound crazy, but I like it out here and hate it at the same time. You know how I work better than anyone else, Amata. I see a problem, and I want to fix it. I see someone who needs help, I help them. Some call it selflessness, but… I just don't like things that are just… _wrong,_ you know? A broken water pipe? That's wrong. Kids starving to death? That's wrong too. A man who murders other people because, for lack of a better term, he's crazy? Wrong." He stopped for a moment to think, shaking his head as he sighed. "The Capital Wasteland… is full of things that are wrong. You can hardly walk thirty yards before finding something wrong. I want to make them right."

She wasn't sure how to respond. But he continued, "What I'm trying to say is that… I don't know what's going to happen to us in the future, but I want to stay in the Capital Wasteland. When all is said and done, when, I don't know, we find my father and from there… fix Project Purity? Make it work? I don't know. I've been running the idea of the project over and over in my head for a while now, and… I like it. Clean water… that's one problem to be fixed." He looked her straight in the eyes. "But there's more. A lot more. That's why I hate this place, because everything is just so… fucked up. And yet, I like it because I've realized that I have a chance to make a real difference in people's lives, people who really need help. I guess, what I'm trying to say is… what about you, Amata?"

She blinked a few times, deliberately pausing to let his words sink in. After contemplating a number of responses, she smiled again and simply said, "I love you."

He chuckled, replying, "Well, I get that. What I'm saying is that I want to stay in the Capital Wasteland. What about you?"

"What choice do I have?" she shrugged. She got off the bed and knelt next to him, grasping his hand and holding it tightly. "Lloyd, I love you. You know that. No matter what you do, I'll support it."

"But you don't like it out here," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but neither do you. You said so." After sharing a quick laugh, she told him, "Like you, Lloyd, I like it out here and hate it. I hate it for the same reason that you do, because of how, well, wrong everything is out here. But the reason I like it… is because I'm with you."

He took her hands in his and fully faced her. He seemed elated by her words, and began speaking excitedly. "Amata, it's more than just me wanting to help people. It's about us, too. I really want you to know that." He brought her hands to his lips, then said, "Everything… everything I do, have done, out here, helping others, it's not just out of some sense of higher ideals or morality. It's about us. I want to make the future as bright as it can possibly be for you and me. Because…" he trailed off, not finding the words.

Amata giggled. "What?"

He composed himself and said, "Because there's no one else in the world I could imagine myself being out here with other than you, Amata."

They shared a tender kiss then, followed by a strong hug, before Amata broke away and asked, "So, what woke you up and made you spill your guts like this?"

He shrugged, saying, "Just a dream."

"Care to clarify?" she mocked his occasional phrase. He laughed and shook his head. "Come on. I'm interested."

"I'd tell you if I could, really," he replied. "It was vague. It's already leaving me now. The details are… I don't know. I saw people. I think they had vault jumpsuits on."

"Vault 101?" she asked.

"I don't know. If I saw numbers on their backs, I can't see them clearly now. Anyway, they were there… They opened the door to their vault… and there were these other people outside, dressed darkly. They had… I dunno; something about them was just… They had yellow eyes."

Her eyebrow shot up. "Yellow eyes?"

"Bright, yellow eyes. I remember that. And the vault people were… I'm not sure what they were doing. But something happened, and someone was killed, and then I woke up."

"What do you think it means?"

He dismissed it, waving his hand and remarking, "Just a dream, Amata. Probably doesn't mean a thing." He kissed her again before they both went back to the bed. As they retired under the sheet, Amata wrapped her arms around him and snuggled up to him, her face borderline nuzzling his neck. He put his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm lightly. Though his love found it easy to return to sleep, he wasn't as fortunate. He stared upwards, thinking about what they had just talked about. He wondered if he really could change the world. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, and it wasn't going to be quick.

He wasn't sure if he could do it. But he was willing to try.

* * *

After rounding up their companions from various places in the community, Amata and Lloyd found Lucy West waiting near the large metal doors that served as the gateway in and out of Megaton. She wore the same outfit as before, only now she had donned a pair of sunglasses and a traveler's backpack. The Wandering Pair and co. approached Lucy, with Lloyd getting her attention.

"Lucy!" he called out, waving at her from a distance. She patiently waited until they got closer. As the rest of the Wandering Pair's companions approached, Lloyd introduced them.

"This is Jericho," he said. The raider paid her no attention as he passively smoked a cigarette. "Charon," he introduced the tall ghoul, who gave her a single nod. "Russ," he said, kneeling to pet the dog. Lucy smiled and did the same. "Harkness," he pointed to the android. Harkness removed his security helmet and extended a hand for her to shake. Tentatively, she reached out and took it. They made brief eye contact as they shook hands. Lloyd turned and addressed the rest of the group, "We're making a bit of a delay. We're headed north, to… Arefu, that's it. We'll be following the river. We're accompanying Lucy here. Shouldn't take more than a day to get there and back again."

"Why?" Charon asked. "Your purpose would be better served ignoring this request."

"Please, Charon, don't start," Lloyd said. "We're doing this and that's final."

"I don't mean to argue. You know that where you go, I shall follow."

Lloyd left it at that. He asked the rest of them, "Does everyone have what they need?"

"I could use another drink," Jericho said.

"No," was Lloyd's quick reply. "If there's nothing else, we're leaving now."

"Lloyd!" came the call of a young boy. Bryan Wilks ran up. "Lloyd! Are you leaving?" Bryan was dressed in his new clothes, courteously donated by Moira Brown. He now had a pair of jeans and a striped shirt, and some old sneakers that luckily fit him, though they were held together mostly by string and duct tape.

"Yeah…" Lloyd replied. "You'll be okay here, Bryan. We told you the people you need to go to when you need something or have a problem."

"I want to go with you," Bryan said. "I wanna go on another adventure!"

Lloyd looked at Amata, who shrugged, unsure of what to say. Lloyd walked up to the youth and knelt before him. "Bryan, it's dangerous out there. I need you to stay here, okay? Amata and I don't want to have to worry about you."

Bryan looked saddened by this. "But…" he began.

"No buts. There's danger out there and I'll not be responsible for throwing a child into it," Lloyd said. When Bryan looked rejected, he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, come on now. Someday you'll be old enough to go out there. But for now, I need you to stay where it's safe. Understand?"

Bryan eventually nodded, and at Lloyd's recommendation, ran off to play with some of the other kids. "I didn't know you two had a kid," joked Lucy. Lloyd and Amata both gave her an incredulous look, and she smirked, holding back some laughter.

"Well, I think we're all ready. You got a gun, Lucy?" Lloyd asked her. She pulled out a .32 pistol from behind her back. "That's not very strong. Here," he handed her his 10mm pistol. Amata noticed that it was the one she had given him on the day they had escaped from the vault. "This'll pack more of a punch than that little .32."

"Thanks," she said, taking both pistols and sliding them into her pockets.

"This might sound redundant, but do you have your own food?" he inquired.

She nodded, saying, "I got some. I don't really worry about food too much. When I left Arefu, I had to pick up a few survival skills, you know? So I learned how to cook most anything out in the wastes."

"Cook?" Amata asked. "What's there to cook out in the wastes?"

Lucy's face grew skeptical. "Well, almost anything that moves, really. Molerat, radscorpions, dogs, they all got meat on'em, don't they?"

"Radscorpion doesn't taste very good," Charon suddenly put in.

Jericho flicked his cigarette aside and said, "I bit into a bloatfly once. Tasted like solid piss."

"I don't think I'd like to eat dog," Amata said, sticking her tongue out.

"It's all in the way you cook'em," Lucy said. "But we should get going, right…?" she looked to Lloyd for confirmation.

"Yeah, before Russ becomes dinner." The dog whined and they laughed.

They left Megaton hastily, heading directly north to the river. The sun wasn't quite up high yet, so the landscape was painted with a dull orange color. They moved into Springvale, walking past is ruined houses and wrecked cars. Jericho pointed something out. "Hey kid, look, it's one'a those eyebots."

They looked over and saw the spherical floating robot with its various antennae and screen-like face. It was emitting a patriotic tune. "That's the Enclave station, right?" Amata asked. The others nodded.

Lloyd's eyes narrowed. "Let's ignore it and it'll ignore us."

They kept walking north along the road, into Springvale, eventually passing by the school where Lloyd, Amata, Jericho and Russ had killed a large group of raiders only some days ago. While they had originally no intention of paying the decrepit building any heed, as they passed it they were shot at by a small group of raiders who had been occupying the large open section of the back of the school. As soon as the first shot rang out, the companions immediately sprang into action, pulling out their weapons, taking cover amidst the large amount of debris the area had to offer and returning fire.

"Three!" Charon called out as many as he could see as he popped over a fallen slab of concrete and fired off four suppressing shots from his shotgun. Russ began barking and ran into the ruins to try to flush them out.

"Not too many," Lloyd said to himself. He held his breath, gripped his hunting rifle and aimed out from his cover at one of the raiders. His first shot missed, his second didn't. The man fell off of a higher walkway some twenty feet to the hard ground. He didn't die, but Russ made quick work of him.

One of them, a female with a mohawk, charged at them. Harkness fired at her, the green bolt of plasma blasting her arm clean off. Charon took out her leg with his shotgun nearly simultaneously and she fell to the ground.

Lucy and Amata, hiding further behind the others, lied in wait. They both had their weapons out, and were ready to join the fight if needed. What they didn't anticipate was that one of the raiders would sneak up behind them. Perhaps this raider, this woman, had one flaw, and that flaw was arrogance, or simply a lack of tactical intelligence. As she leapt up onto the stone behind Amata, she cried out in murderous glee, perhaps in an attempt to be frightening. Had she remained silent, Lucy would never had heard her and turned around in time to stop the raider from swinging her sword down and cleaving through Amata's neck. Lucy aimed and fired several shots, her bullets hitting various places on the raider's body. She fell back, her sword falling from her hand and making a loud clanging noise on the concrete.

The others quickly rushed up when they heard the gunshots. Amata looked at the raider, than at Lucy, realizing that the woman had saved her life. "Thank you…" she said.

Lucy smiled and replied, "Hey, no problem. You'd have done the same for me." She helped Amata to her feet. The vault dweller looked down, and picked up the sword the raider had dropped. It was strikingly similar to the one she had once wielded, before it broke off in the back of a large mirelurk.

Lloyd briskly walked up. "Are you okay?" he asked Amata. She quickly reassured him that she was fine, thanks to Lucy, who he then also thanked.

Just then, they heard a loud noise; a terrible cry from the ruins. Carefully, they looked and saw a painful sight. The female raider that Harkness and Charon had attacked had yet to die. The plasmic bolt from Harkness' rifle had seared her arm clean off, cauterizing it. Charon's shotgun shells had torn out a chunk of her leg, and now she was crawling along the ground with her one working arm, crying and bleeding.

Amata covered her mouth and looked away as the others watched the morbid sight. The raider looked up at them, unable to form words in her incredible, blinding pain. Charon and Jericho both seemed dispassionate about her visage; whereas Harkness and Lucy's faces both betrayed a terrible pity.

Lloyd couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of this raider, this woman, this human being clawing at the earth as she pulled herself. He knew she couldn't be going anywhere coherent; she was only trying to get somewhere to stop the pain. Mere moments ago this woman had tried to attack them. She was the enemy. Despite this, Lloyd couldn't stop himself from kneeling and pulling out his medical kit.

Harkness reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "You can't do anything, Lloyd. The trauma is too great for a few stimpaks."

Lloyd was about to protest when he saw Jericho approach with his rifle. The old raider gestured with the barrel of his gun to move out of the way. Lloyd knew what he meant. He swallowed, stood and turned away, putting away his medkit.

A few shots rang out behind him and the woman's crying ceased, which he couldn't help but cringe at.

Nearby, Amata slid the sword into her belt and everyone began reloading their weapons. There wasn't any talking as they searched the bodies of the raiders for supplies.

Nobody had any words.

* * *

Some twenty minutes later, they had their first encounter with the creature known to the wasteland as a "yao guai." The species was an American black bear, once, but it was more akin to a ghoul now. It was large, mostly hairless with large patches of rough, scarred skin and its eyes were almost all white. It was slightly larger than the size of a full-grown man. They saw it from a distance, moving amidst some bushes. They paused, but it saw them on the side of the hill they had been walking down and roared, charging towards them on limbs ending in dirty, yellow claws. Their combined firepower took it down, but it was a tough creature. It took a few seconds of their firing to kill it, and it crashed into the ground, skidding to a stop along the dirt not ten feet away from them, which was impressive considering they had begun firing on it from at least fifty feet away.

"Powerful animal," Lloyd said, lowering his rifle.

"Lucky we're in a group. Those fuckin' things are nightmares if ya ever fight one alone," Jericho said.

Lucy knelt next to the corpse, pulling out a knife. "Hey, Lloyd, you've got a ripper. Want to help me cut the choice meats?"

Lloyd blinked a few times. "Um… uh, sure, I guess." He pulled out the chainsaw-like device and assisted her. It was grim work, but Lucy seemed to be completely nonchalant about it, as though it were commonplace. And as far as Lloyd knew, it was.

Soon, they were on the move again. They passed by a metal shack, abandoned and empty. The river they followed soon dried up, but they were able to follow a trail of beached boats and wooden docks until they found the river once more. It was there that yet another yao guai leapt out from a hill above them and landed atop Jericho.

"Ah shit! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Jericho cried out as he put his arms up in defense, trying to grapple its face, but it was very strong. The mutated bear snapped its massive, yellow jaws as the rest of them began to fire at it. Amata, with her new sword, courageously ran up and stabbed the animal. It roared in pain, swiping her aside with one of its front limbs. She fell back and Charon took her place, pointing his shotgun right into the side of its head. He fired and the yao guai immediately died, its skull blown open. "Get this fuckin' thing off me!" Jericho shouted as he tried to push the large mass of the bear off. "Come on! Fuckin' get it off! Don't just fuckin' stare!"

The group worked together to roll the carcass off of the former raider, who got up and dusted himself off. "See?" he said. "Told ya they were fuckin' nightmares." He quickly lit a cigarette and smoked. "Fuckin' a…"

"Odd that there'd be two of these things in one day," Amata said, sliding her new sword back into her belt.

"Not as odd as you'd think," Harkness said. "Sometimes these things move in groups. Could've ambushed us because we killed its mate, or child."

"Either way," Lucy said, pulling out her knife. "Good food for tonight!"

Lloyd sighed and took out her ripper. Charon stopped him. "This yao guai might have followed us by scent. Let's leave this one be."

Lucy sighed but accepted that and slid her knife away.

Not much further ahead was a raider camp. There were four of them, living next to the river in two shacks. After the distaste in their mouths from their previous encounter with raiders, they contemplated moving around them when one of the raiders saw them, quickly alerting the others.

A few minutes later, they were all floating face-down in the river.

"Goddamn we're good," Jericho said as he reloaded his gun. "Hell, we're fuckin' unstoppable."

Lloyd was standing next to him. Fixing him with a look, he said, "Confident attitude considering you were almost chewed on by that yao guai back there."

"Ah, stuff it," he said. "It got the jump on me."

The vault dweller chuckled. "We're not unstoppable, Jericho. The second we start thinking we are is the second life is going to teach us a harsh lesson. Karma catches up."

"Yeah, whatever." They both moved to rejoin the others, who were examining the two shacks.

"Lotta supplies," Harkness told them as they neared. Amata and Lucy were going through some wooden boxes. He looked at Lloyd as he neared and said, "Jackpot."

"Couple'a cartons of cigarettes," Lucy said, holding up a cardboard box. Jericho quickly advanced and took them.

Harkness grabbed a few stacks of green paper. "Pre-war money," he said, flipping through them. "Good for toilet paper."

"Mostly empty cans, but some have beans," Amata reported as she took the food and put it into her backpack.

Lloyd looked at the shelf and its contents. "Some Rad-X, few stimpaks, jet, psycho… Interesting, alright." He took the medicine.

"Hey, looky here," Lucy said, holding up a sawed-off shotgun she had picked up from a table. "Couple'a boxes of shells lying around here. Anyone mind if I take it?" Nobody objected.

Not too far away, at the other shack, Charon called out, "Landmines and shotgun shells."

"Let's pack'em all up," Lloyd said. "Lucy, we close to Arefu?"

Lucy, having taken the sawed-off, ran up the riverside a little ways so that she could see underneath a wrecked bridge. "I can see it from here!" she called back. "Still a ways off but I can see the bridge!"

Lloyd waved to her and then turned back to the others. "Alright, let's take five more minutes to get everything we need from this collection of mostly junk and let's go."

After doing so, they regrouped and continued along their way. In the distance, across the water they could see a nest of four mirelurks along the beach. Whether or not the crab mutants considered them as well, they could not tell. Not far from the beach upon which the group nested, a large, brown radscorpion sat very still, basking in the sun amidst some dull brown reeds, which camouflaged it fairly well, enough that they didn't notice it until Harkness, with his advanced eyes, pointed it out.

They neared the bridge. "There's a building up ahead, next to the bottom of the bridge," Lucy told them. She was smiling, and was borderline skipping ahead of them in anticipation.

"Wait up," Lloyd called out.

Lucy seemed to not hear him. "Old Lady Janeway lives up here," she called back. She was approaching a large group of rocks, behind which was a large shack. As she climbed up the hill, moving amongst the smaller rocks, she continued, "She's got these brahmin and there's always been this one with one head that's twice the size of the other one, I swear! Come on!"

"Think she's a little excited about homecoming?" Amata asked Lloyd as she jogged next to him to keep up. As they finally caught up to her, they found her standing along a wooden fence, resting her hands on it but otherwise immobile. "Lucy?" Amata spoke up. She didn't reply, or move for that matter. "Lucy?"

They got closer and saw that she was staring at three dead, pale brahmin corpses. "Oh…" Lloyd breathed as they slowed to a stop. "Well that's just…" His voice trailed off.

"Something's wrong," Lucy said as she whipped around. "Something is very wrong." She began moving around the fence to the front of the house.

"Lucy, wait! Calm down," Lloyd said, moving after her. She crouched to move beneath the bridge before running to the front door.

"What the hell?" she said. It was boarded up. Harkness, Jericho and Charon hopped the fence into the dead cow pen and moved through it to save time. Lucy began pounding on the door. "Mrs. Janeway? Mrs. Janeway! Open up! It's me, Lucy! The West girl!" She turned around and told them, "Help me open the door."

"Slow down," Lloyd told her. "Let's not go barging into people's houses just because there's a bunch of dead two-headed cows outside."

Lucy nearly shouted, "That's exactly the reason to barge into someone's house! She loved these cows more than her own children. She'd never let something happen to them. Please, help me open the door."

Lloyd nodded as he, Charon, Jericho and Harkness went to work on the many planks nailed across the door. Once the last one was pulled free, Charon kicked in the door and entered with his shotgun leading. One by one, they entered, exploring the wooden building until it had been searched in its entirety; much to Lucy's dismay, it was utterly empty save for junk, rotting food and scrap metal.

"Nothing? At all?" Lucy asked as Charon and Harkness descended the stairs.

Harkness shook his head. "Completely empty. Save for a hole in the roof, about the size of a man. The metal bends outwards, like something inside crawled out." Lucy seemed confused and saddened by this latest revelation.

Looking back at the entrance, Lloyd thought it was odd that the outside of the door had been barricaded. 'Was this meant to keep something out or something inside?' he thought.

Harkness rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Well… there's not much down here. Let's see what's up that bridge, shall we?"

Lucy looked up at him and nodded. "Okay. I sure hope things are better up there than down here…" she said as she shuddered.

Lucy led the walk up the large bridge, followed by Harkness and the others. They passed old vehicles, slabs of concrete and walked over planks of wood that had been where the road had cracked. As they passed by one large hole in the side of the bridge, Lloyd looked over and saw the river down below. He whistled, saying, "That's a hell of a drop, right there."

"There's buildings up ahead," Charon pointed out as they eventually came to a level plane. Lucy's heart sank a bit.

"There aren't as many homes as I remember…" she noted. "Well… maybe some of them left."

They saw a makeshift wall of sandbags up ahead. Lloyd thought it was odd. Lucy continued to walk forward, determined to discover just what was going on. As she stepped off of a wooden plank and onto a pressure plate, an explosion went off ahead of her. It was far away enough so that she wouldn't be harmed, but close enough for her to be knocked back by the sudden blast. Harkness, moving with the calculated speed only his origin as an android could offer, caught her before she hit the ground.

As they prepared to draw weapons, and man suddenly popped up from behind the sandbags. "Gah! What? Who? You're not the Family!" he shouted. He stood up. "I nearly blasted you all in two!" The man ran out from behind cover. He wore a leather jacket, a brown baseball cap, goggles over his eyes and had an assault rifle was strapped to his back. His skin was tanned and worn, as he was middle-aged and he had a rough, unkempt goatee. "The hell do you people think you're doin'? Setting off my trap! Just what the hell are you all doin' all the way out here?"

"Evan King?" Lucy said as Harkness helped her to her feet. The man looked over at her and squinted.

"…Lucy West? Well I'll be…" The man, evidently called Evan King, took off his hat and goggles. His eyes had clear indentations where the goggles had been and his eye sockets were dark. "You sure picked a hell of a time to come home, Lucy."

Lucy straightened up and said, "Evan, tell me what's going on right now. I've been trying to send messages here for months now. Old Lady Janeway's brahmin are dead and she's gone? Who the hell did you set that trap for, and why are there so few houses left here?"

Evan shook his head, evidently very relieved. "Oh, Lucy, I'm just glad it's you. I thought you were one of the Family."

"The Family?" Lloyd asked.

"You've said that twice now," Harkness spoke up. "Who are the Family?"

Evan shook his head. "Hell, I don't even know what they are anymore. Look, you can call me crazy if you want, but there's something impossibly odd about these creeps now. They used to be just a bunch of lowlife gangers who gave us a hell of a lot of trouble. Now… they're just… I don't even know what to call'em. They're monsters now."

"Explain," Lucy demanded.

"Hell, I don't know! At first they used to do typical gang bullshit, you know, break stuff and make lots of noise. But they always kept their distance. Now they only come at night, and they've… changed! I tell ya, they changed and I don't know how or why. They can run fast, jump high, climb… they've got claws for hands and they can see in the dark…"

"Hold it right there," Harkness said. "This sounds just ridiculous. Are you sure you're just not incredibly intimidated by them and you're making all of this up out of fear?"

"In the last month they've killed five people! Broke into their homes and dragged them off, kicking and screaming! They killed the brahmin! I've seen them with my own eyes. They're not human anymore I tell you, they're monsters!"

Lloyd and Amata exchanged nervous glances. This whole situation was turning south very quickly.

"What about my family?" Lucy asked. "Are they alright?"

"I don't know," Evan answered. "But they're still here. Most folks have packed up and left but… I don't know how far they might've gotten." He looked at the rest of them. "Look, we're really in a bad way and we could use some help. You've gotta help us, I mean look at all of you!"

"Sounds like you guys are pretty screwed," Jericho said. "Kid, we brought the bitch here. Let's go."

"Shut it, Jericho," Lloyd ordered, shooting him a glare. "We're helping them." He turned back to Evan and asked, "So, what can we do?"

"I need to get back to bed," Evan told them. "The family only comes at night, and they've been especially brutal lately. I used to have flares and other things to fend them off, but I'm all out of those. I only have landmines and other explosives left. They're my alarm clock. Can you do me a favor and just check on the other people's houses here? You know, make sure they're doing okay. The Ewers, the Wests and Karen Schenzy are all that's left."

"Sure," Lloyd said. He looked at Lucy. "You get to your old house and we'll handle the rest of them." Lucy nodded and they proceeded into the small community. Lloyd stayed back to speak with Evan. "I need to know where this Family might live."

"I don't know," Evan replied. "I haven't left this bridge. I think they might live somewhere east or northeast of here… but there're a lot of places to hide."

"Can you tell me anything else about them?" he asked.

Evan shrugged. "I told you everything I know. They hate bright lights, they only come out at night and they're not human anymore."

"Would you care to clarify? How are they not human?"

"I said that they can run faster than hell, jump higher than hell and have claws for hands that come straight out of hell! What more can I tell you?"

"Anything. What do they look like?"

"They're pale, I guess. Damn near white skin. Dark hair, messy. I've only seen two of them together at a time; otherwise it's always been different ones by themselves, jumping and hollering and attacking anything they want."

"Fine. You're lucky you didn't shoot at us, by the way. We'd probably have shot back."

"I can't help it if I have an itchy trigger finger," Evan replied. "Comes with the damn job."

Not far away, Amata knocked on the door of a shack. From behind it, a woman's voice said, "Hello? Is this the mailman? Oh, I do hope my fall catalog has arrived!"

Amata paused as her eyebrow raised, and she replied, "Um… Evan King sent me," she said in an elevated voice to make sure she could be heard on the other side of the door.

"Oh! Evan! He's such a gentleman. Please, do come inside. Let me unlock the door for you!" A clicking sound could be heard, and Amata warily opened the door and stepped into the dim shack. As she did so, the door slammed behind her and a man got up in her face.

"Who the fuck are you? What the fuck do you want?" he quickly fired off those two questions.

Amata quickly backed up against the door, raised her hands up and said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy…"

The man crossed his arms and continued in his hostile, accusatory tone, "Yeah, right. The second I drop my guard and you pounce. I've seen it. No thanks. Look, speak your piece, then leave."

"Evan King sent us here to check up on you," Amata replied. She looked around the small shack and saw a woman, wearing an admittedly happy smile. She seemed blissfully unaware of her surroundings and, although Amata didn't necessarily feel good about, her first impression of the woman was that she wasn't very bright. Somewhere in the shack, a radio was playing soft tunes.

"We're great," the man told her sarcastically. "Just peachy. I love sitting in my house with my thumb up my ass. Tell Mr. King that sitting in here all day isn't going to make us any safer. We need to take action!"

"Okay…" Amata said. "I'll, uh, be sure to get that by him." She quickly exited the shack. 'The hell was going on in there?' she wondered.

Harkness walked up to one of the shacks, pushing aside a bent, rusty shopping cart as he did so and knocked on the door. A woman's voice could be heard. "Yes? Who is it?"

Harkness cleared his throat and replied, "Evan King sent me. Can I come in?"

"Oh he did? Well it's about damn time he did something. Come on in, I'll unlock the door." A clicking sound later and Harkness was stepping inside the shack. The woman stepped back as he entered, sizing him up. She wore a dirty set of robed wastelander clothing and her hair was sandy-brown and pulled back. "It's nice to see a friendly new face around here. It's been a long time. Too long. The name's Karen Schenzy," she extended a friendly enough greeting.

"Harkness," he greeted. "Evan King told me to check up on you. Is everything okay?"

She sighed. "Scared outta my mind, to be honest. Last night I was damn near killed by one of those things. I'm glad Evan's there, keeping an eye on us and all, but until someone nips this problem in the bud, we may as well stay inside forever. I might just do that anyway."

Harkness smirked. "That's a little extreme. But can you tell me more about what's been going on around here?"

She ran her fingers through her hair. "Well, we're all scared shitless, that much is obvious. Last night I thought I could show the Family how I really feel about them, but they've… changed somehow. One of them chased me and… Oh, god, I don't even want to think about what might have happened. And King's got everyone so worked up about the Family anyway, so nobody's got much hope left for any kind of rescue."

"We're the rescue," Harkness assured her. "I'm going to go out and talk with the others. We're glad you're safe."

"For now," she said. "Just wait until night comes."

Outside, Lucy was knocking on her parent's shack door. "Mom? Dad? It's me, Lucy!" She knocked a few more times. "Ian? You in there?"

Lloyd walked up behind her. "Is it locked?" he asked. She tried the door, finding it to be open. She pushed it open.

Lloyd looked at her as she stood silent for several seconds. "Lucy?" She suddenly fell to her knees and began breathing quickly. She fell back onto her elbows, crawling backwards. Behind her sunglasses, he could see that her eyes were wide. Terror, distress, disbelief: all these things were reflected in her face. Lloyd turned to the open door and looked inside and nearly puked.

A man lay on the floor, and behind him a woman was laying on a bed. Both of them had been dead for quite a long time. But it was more than that: their blood was splattered over the walls and floors, and their necks had large chunks torn out of them. Lloyd had seen some terrible sights in the wasteland, but he had to admit that this one ranked pretty high. He immediately turned around and shouted, "On me! Now!" The group quickly assembled near him. Before anyone could ask what was going on, Lloyd began barking out quick orders. "Harkness, in there with me," he pointed behind him with this thumb. "Tell me everything you can find. Charon, Jericho, I need you two at the front of the bridge right now for patrol. Take Russ with you. Amata, comfort her," he pointed at Lucy, who was now quietly sobbing. Everyone seemed to pause. "Now!" Lloyd shouted.

Lloyd and Harkness proceeded inside as Jericho, Charon and Russ began to walk to the bottom of the bridge to begin their vigil. Amata knelt down and spoke softly to Lucy as she gently but firmly held her shoulders. Lloyd closed the door behind him. He shook his head and took off his helmet. "What do we have, Harkness?"

The android scanned the room. After a short moment of analysis, he reported, "The bodies of the Wests have bite marks on their necks that go to the bone. While the male has plenty of blood around him, the lack of bloodstains on the sheets is strange, as any bite or wound of that depth should have caused massive bleeding. The bites appear to be from a human with sharpened teeth; incisors or canines, or both."

"Good god…" Lloyd muttered. "Any idea what might have happened here?"

"The door isn't locked. There's little sign of struggle: the bodies of the deceased show almost no signs of exterior harm beyond their bite marks, which means that is the only possible means of their demise, and the shack, while itself only as well built as most wasteland abodes, shows no sign of exterior or interior damage, either to the furniture or walls. This happened from within, and whoever did it entered and exited through the front entrance, leaving the door unlocked."

Lloyd titled his head, trying to piece together the puzzle. "What, did they just invite a member of the Family inside?"

"That's unlikely, given what we've learned about the Family and everyone's fear of them. There are only two bodies here. Did Lucy ever mention anyone else?"

"A brother, I think… Ian. He's not here." He looked at the android. "What could that mean?"

"Any number of things," he said. "I'm not sure. Could mean he was taken. He might have been killed outside, somewhere else. Might have run away. There's a possibility he was responsible."

"You think that last one's really plausible?" Lloyd asked.

The android shook his head. "Not enough evidence. I can't say for certain if it's any one of those alternatives. There is something else, though."

Lloyd's curiosity rose. "What?"

"There's a strange substance on their bodies. A black powdery residue. It seems to have been spread on them deliberately, after their deaths, judging by its pattern. It is unlikely that the deceased were responsible for it being there." He bent over and wiped a finger across the dead man's chest. It came back slightly blackened.

"What is it? Gunpowder? Some kind of ash?"

"The closest thing I have to match is the combination of various elements that constitutes a black powder found in old train yards."

"Train yards? Like, train stations?"

"Precisely. I saw a train yard on our way over here, on the opposite side of the river. It's not far from this community."

"Odd… why would the killer, if we assume it's the killer, spread it on their bodies?"

Harkness shook his head. "If everything we've heard about them is true then we don't know how these people think, outside of blatant hostility and possible desire to kill. In regards to this ash, I do have some ideas behind its being here. It could be here to either instill fear in whoever finds these corpses, like putting a head on a pike outside of an established territory. Alternatively, it might be some kind of way of marking a kill. I haven't had much experience with tribal cultures, but I understand that some of them mark trophies with some kind of unique means of identification. Though, there is another thing that concerns me, Lloyd."

"This whole thing concerns me, but what is it?"

"The bites, the lack of blood on the woman's body, the fact that these people only come out at night and can, by all accounts, run faster and jump higher than normal human beings, as well as the description of pale skin and clawed hands, suggests an almost exact analog to vampirism."

Lloyd's eyes flashed with grim realization. "Vampirism? You mean vampires?"

"Correct."

They stood silent for a few moments. "You can't be serious," Lloyd shook his head. "Vampires? They're myths. Monster stories for children."

"That may be, but given what we've learned by testimony and the evidence in this room makes for one hell of a coincidence. I'm not saying that we're dealing with actual mythic monsters, but perhaps it is the result of some mutation or genetic experiment. Inconclusive evidence from this crime scene cannot allow me to pinpoint the truth; only develop theories."

Lloyd sighed and said, "Well, this is a lovely situation we stumbled upon. Real lovely. Christ… Lucy shouldn't have seen this. Nobody should see something like this." He rubbed his face, trying to think about what his next move should be. "Man… Okay. What happens now?"

"We need to find these people." Harkness took another look around and said, "This kind of thing can't happen again. I can only begin to project the possible danger creatures like this might have on other populated areas of the wasteland."

Lloyd readily agreed, "Yeah, you're right. Okay. Let's do what we do best." They left the shack to find Evan King standing near Lucy and Amata, who had moved up against the wall of a nearby shack. The man looked up at them as they approached.

"Well? What's going on? They won't tell me anything."

Lloyd silenced him with an upheld hand. He looked at Lucy. "Lucy?" he began as he crouched in front of her. Her eyes were puffy and she was still sniffling. "I feel that you deserve to know what we think happened in there."

Though she was clearly in a bad state, with tears and difficulty of controlling her breathing, she managed to nod. "Okay," she said.

"Well…" Lloyd looked back to Harkness, who shrugged. "We think… the Family…" He sighed in frustration. 'How the hell do you tell someone that vampires ate their parents?' He decided upon saying, "We think the Family might have… attacked and… We think they might be cannibals." Harkness closed his eyes, but he understood Lloyd's reasoning.

Evan King took off his hat and smacked it against his knee. "Sons of bitches! They must have gotten to them in the last attack."

"They've been dead for a lot longer than that," Harkness said. "You never checked up on them in all that time?"

Evan paused and they all looked at him. "Well… I… I was watching the bridge! I'm sorry!"

"Shut it, King," Lloyd said. He looked at Lucy and continued, "We didn't find your brother's body. We don't know where he is."

"But we did find a lead on where the attackers might have gone," Harkness spoke up. "A train yard not far out from here."

"You mean Meresti? It's due east of here," Evan said. Lloyd stood up and checked his Pip-Boy.

"Alright. It's getting late in the afternoon. Let's move, Harkness."

"Wait!" Lucy said, standing up. She seemed to stumble upon her words as she said, "I'd… I'd like you to stay." She was looking at Harkness.

He looked around. "Me?"

She nodded. "I… I'd feel safer."

Harkness looked at Lloyd. Amata stood up and said, "Well… I suppose I could go with Lloyd. We taking Jericho or Charon?"

"Charon," Lloyd said. "Well… I mean, Harkness, if it's okay with you."

The android looked at Lucy, taking a moment to think. "I don't think you should march into the Family's possible home without me," he said, casting a sidelong glance at Lloyd.

Lucy stepped a bit closer. "Please?" she looked up at him.

"Harkness, your skills might be more useful here," Lloyd said. "We'll be fine. Charon's a good shot, and we'll take Russ. Besides… if Lucy wants your company, it'd be rude to refuse."

Harkness looked back and forth between them before saying, "Fair enough."

As Lloyd and Amata began walking down the bridge, Evan King ran and caught up with them. "Hey, wait!" he called after them. "Since you two are headed out, you should check with someone who might still be alive. She never lived here with us in town, but she came in and traded with us before all this happened. She insisted on living on the cliffs to the south. Not that long of a walk, really. Just reach the cliffs then go west, following the rocks. You can't miss her camp."

"Are you sure she's still alive?" Lloyd asked.

Evan shrugged. "Well, no, but I still see her fires at night, so I figure someone must be up there."

Lloyd nodded. "Alright. We'll see. Who is she exactly?"

"Her name is Malika. She's a strange woman, but she's traded us good clothes in the past. It'd be a shame if she wasn't alive; she never did us any wrong."

"We'll see if she's still alive," Amata promised. As they reached the bottom of the bridge, they reunited with Jericho, Charon and Russ. Lloyd took this time to tell them the full extent of what they were potentially dealing with.

"Vampires? That's what Harkness said?" Amata asked incredulously. "That's… impossible, right?"

"Probably. But in this world, who knows." Lloyd looked at Charon. "Charon, you're with us. We're going to investigate a woman who lives up on the cliffs to the south and a train yard to the east. Let's try to hurry before night falls. I don't think I'd like to be in this area when the sun goes down."

"So I'm just supposed to sit here with my thumb up my ass?" Jericho asked. Amata nearly laughed as she mentally noted that that was the second time today she had heard someone say that, the first being the man in the Ewers residence.

"We shouldn't be gone for more than a few hours," Lloyd told the former raider. "Just hold tight until we get back."

As the three of them departed with Russ, Jericho scoffed, lighting up a cigarette. "Hold tight onto my ass," he muttered.

* * *

Somewhere underground, they stirred. Their nostrils were filled with scents carried by the wind. New people in Arefu. Yao guai meat. Night would fall soon, and their simple minds became elated at the prospect of fresh meat, of fresh blood.

One of them, however, smelt something different. One of these new meats had different blood. Something… stranger. Something… stronger. He knew he must bring the blood back for his patron.

Night would fall soon.

* * *

Behind the West home, the bridge that supported Arefu extended for a few more yards before finally breaking away completely. Down in the irradiated waters of the Potomac river below, the rest of the other half of the bridge laid broken. It was there near that edge that Lucy and Harkness sat. She was sitting with her back against what was once her home and Harkness was only a few feet away from her. She was being very quiet, hugging her knees close to her chest.

Harkness tried to initiate conversation. "I'm sorry about your parents," he told her with genuine sympathy.

"Yeah…" she silently replied. Awkward silence ensued.

Harkness looked over at her. "Lucy, if you don't mind my asking, why did you want me to stay? I think I might have been better suited to helping them hunt down the killers."

She looked at him. Her blue eyes shined brightly now that she had taken her sunglasses off, slightly wet from her tears earlier. "I'm not sure," she said.

Harkness resumed looking out over the landscape. "If its combat and weapon superiority and protection derived from those, I can understand that. Is that it?"

"No," she said. "I…" she seemed to lose focus. Harkness could tell she was uncertain.

"If you would like to talk about anything, I'm a very good listener. It can't be easy to go through what you went through today. I admit that I don't have much skill with helping soothe trauma, but I'd be happy to listen."

"Have you ever lost anyone?" she suddenly asked.

Harkness paused. He decided to reply, "I lost my wife. She left me to live elsewhere."

"So… you're not married anymore, then?"

"No."

A few more moments of silence passed.

"What kind of name is Harkness? Who gave it to you?" she asked him, changing the topic.

"I don't know. It's just my name."

"Do you have a last name?"

He paused. In his head, he cycled through millions of names, before deciding, "Harkness is my last name."

"Then what's your first name? I mean, if you don't mind my asking."

Once more, he went through millions of names in less than a second. Having compiled a list, he used a simple equation to choose one at random. To Lucy, he simply appeared to be considering whether to tell her his name or not for a few seconds. "Christopher," he suddenly spoke up. "My name is Christopher Harkness."

"Oh… I like your name."

"Thank you."

Yet again, silence fell over them. Lucy kept looking at Harkness, however, and eventually said, "I like you, Christopher."

He looked at her again. "I'm sorry?"

She scooted a little closer and repeated, "I like you."

Harkness' brain began running through multiple scenarios, possibilities regarding the meaning of those words. "I'm… flattered. Thank you?"

She was blushing as she asked, "Do you think you might like me?"

He considered his response carefully. "I… don't know you very well, Lucy. You don't know me."

"But I'd like to learn," she told him.

"Lucy, I…" he needed a few seconds to decide how to respond. "I'm not the kind of… person who I think you'd like."

"How do you know that?" she asked. "You just said we don't know each other. I want to know you, Christopher…" She reached over and touched his hand. "I want you to know me."

Touch. It was an interesting thing for Harkness. He interoperated this touch in three distinct ways and was able to process it in a way only a calculating computer could. The first was the exact amount of pressure she was exerting on his skin, a series of numbers on charts and equations compared against the level of resistance to that pressure. The second were the physical sensations he received from the contact. Her hand was warm, and her touch could be described as delicate, almost sensual. The third was the meaning he drew from the touch and the realization of why she chose to do it to compliment her words.

Romance was something Harkness had honestly never considered. He knew of it, certainly. His human side knew it all too well considering he was once married to a woman he knew never existed. When he seriously examined his human memories, however, he discovered that he had never been given a reason as to _why _he had loved her: only that he had and she had left him. When properly analyzed with his awakened awareness, his memories never offered him anything when it came to experiencing love first hand. When he had lived as a human, he occasionally flirted with Lana Danvers, his second-in-command, but nothing had ever come of it.

His android side never considered romance because of obvious reasons: he didn't procreate. He didn't have the sexual drives or instinctive urges of true biological beings. His definition of love, his only true knowledge of love, was like that of a dictionary definition of it. He understood its primary purpose, the expression of deep emotional connection between individuals, but in this moment between him and Lucy, he learned something about himself: he had no idea what it truly was. He didn't know the exact moment one would realize that they were in love, or the exact circumstances under which it would form, like right now, possibly. Did Lucy love him? How could she? Going by her words, she only "liked" him right now. If he allowed her to pursue a relationship with him, would she fall in love?

Both sides of Harkness began to go over the situation he now found himself in. He tried to discern what would bring about Lucy's sudden advances while simultaneously attempting to decide what his response to them should be. He found himself unable to truly quantify an exact destination a relationship would bring him, but what truly surprised him was the sudden emotion of excitement that pervaded him, an intrigue of the unknown that was quickly becoming prominent in his thoughts. But yet, even this was tempered by his logic as he considered the state Lucy was currently in. Even though Harkness could achieve a consensus within himself regarding hundreds of facts, to Lucy, only a few seconds passed.

"Lucy, I'm not sure this is what you want," he told her. "You've just been through a very traumatic experience and you might not be thinking like you normally would."

In spite of his observation and its truth, she smiled. "You know, I grew up with my parents and my brother here… You grow up in this wasteland and you're taught that death is a constant theat, that it's around every corner and no matter how much you try to avoid it, it'll come for you… But I never thought their deaths would happen so soon, at least… not like this. I always knew I was going to die, sure, but seeing them like that made me face it like never before. Of course I'm not thinking the way I normally would… I'm only human."

Those last three words struck a chord within Harkness as he listened to her. She looked up at the sky, her blue eyes searching for something as she grew more reflective.

She continued, "I was content to settle in a new place, because I thought I wanted to leave here… but when I was there, I only wanted to come back to see my family. Now that they're gone, I kind of have a real, actual chance to start over, you know? Without being dragged into the past. Before, I was only thinking about the future. But now I know the future: death. I don't want to focus on that anymore. Now, I want to focus on the now, on living. I know that… it's hard, to find happiness in a place like this. Connection… Not everyone can find it. But when I was in Megaton, I saw happiness in odd places. The way Billy Creel smiled when he played with Maggie, or how proud Sheriff Simms would be of his son. Those crazy cooks at the Church of Atom, well, they're happy.

"You don't see it too often… Things like unclean food, bad water, crappy shelter, raiders, mutants, radiation, they tend to stamp out happy thoughts. But I think people like to connect with each other, you know? Share things. Not just for mutual survival or protection, but… we want to share happiness. To find things in each other that make life worth living. Not just misery, loneliness… depression… You want to find someone to share your feelings with. To… connect with."

Their gazes met briefly before she blinked a few times and looked away. "I'm… sorry. I've never really talked about this kind of… stuff." She seemed a little embarrassed as she started to bring up counter-points to her own speech. "But… I mean, I get it. I'm being a little forward, plus you might have other things going on. It doesn't always work out, I know, and if you don't want to… I don't know, try, I guess is the right word? I'll understand. I don't mean to get you into anything you wouldn't want, or… guilt trip you if that's what I'm doing, or something."

Harkness quickly jumped in with, "It's not that, or that I have other things going on, but… I don't think you'd like being in a relationship with me."

She grew interested. "Why?"

"It's difficult to explain. I've just… never been good at relationships."

Lucy took a moment to muster up the bravery to ask, "Why did your wife leave you?"

He looked away. A part of him wished it hadn't come to this. He couldn't simply say that it was because she wasn't real without telling her the truth of his existence. Maybe he should. But he wasn't sure yet if she could be trusted. Jericho knew, sure, but his word was easily dismissible due to the fact that he was drunk most of the time. Charon wasn't a gossiper. He trusted Lloyd and Amata. But Lucy…

He was still very uncertain and at odds with himself over this new development. For her question, he decided to tell her an interpretation of his false memories that his analysis offered.

"Because I didn't love her."

Lucy grew quiet. She looked away as well. She said, "Oh… I see…"

This time, the silence continued and wasn't interrupted.

* * *

They followed Evan King's instructions to the letter. After moving to the cliffs and following the steep rocks to the west, eventually finding a path around them, they moved up a hill and rounded a bend, walking into an interesting campsite. Two burning barrels, one with food cooking over it, were spaced evenly throughout the small area. A trailer with broken wheels and windows undoubtedly served as a shelter. The most eye catching detail, however, was the couch with a woman sitting on it, very relaxed and comfortable, looking at them. At her feet was a dog, its posture alert and unmoving and fixated on them as well. Russ growled quietly.

"Hey there," the woman said with a neutral attitude. She was wearing a red shirt that exposed her midriff and leather pants. At her side was a Chinese assault rifle, but perhaps most striking about her was her hair, white as snow in spite of her young age. Even her eyebrows were white, and her eyes were a bright blue. She suddenly and strangely spoke, _"They came, with purpose in their sight and confusion in their wake."_

"What?" Amata asked. "What's that mean?"

The girl shrugged. "Nothing, really. I'm Malika. Yourselves?"

"Lloyd," he introduced himself. He pointed to the others as he said, "Amata, Charon and Russ."

"Your dog is nice," Malika said, looking at the canine. "Reassure him that everything's fine. Bale won't attack him."

Deciding to take her word, Lloyd knelt down and rubbed Russ' head and saying soothing words, calming him. "We came from Arefu," Amata explained as he did so. "Evan King was wondering if you were still alive."

She chuckled. "Well, here I am. Alive and well. How are things in Arefu?"

"Not too great," Lloyd replied. "We came here with a woman whose parents lived in Arefu, and they're dead." He paused before adding, "Have you noticed anything… unusual, lately?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "Not lately. Not since I drove them off when they came at me in force."

Lloyd considered her words. "They? I assume we're talking about the same thing."

She nodded. "We are."

"Then what are they?" he asked. "One of our friends thought they were… vampires."

Malika's smile grew and she replied, "They are."

Lloyd was about to ask her more, but then Amata interrupted, asking, "You said you drove them off? Have you seen them?"

"I haven't just seen them. I've hunted them, and I've killed them." She picked up her rifle and said, "They're not very smart. Barbaric, really. They fall for the simplest of traps I set. Other thing about their intelligence is the way they hunt prey. They're not a pack, though they probably think themselves to be. They leave their own kind to die and each individual cares only for himself. Not good prey. There's no honor in killing a creature that has none itself."

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow. "That's an interesting perspective… who are you, exactly, Malika?"

She uncrossed her legs and answered, "The name's Malika, of the clan Kiowa. This is my home, for now."

"Kind of a strange place for a home, on the edge of a cliff," Amata pointed out.

Malika chuckled. "No stranger than building a city around a bomb… or an aircraft carrier!" she said with a smile.

"Is that the only reason you live here?" Lloyd asked.

"No. It's close enough to the road so that I can go meet the caravans, plus I don't get bothered much by raiders. And the view has been great. But I go from place to place. I didn't plan on stopping here, but I found this trailer one day and… well, it was too tempting to pass up. So here I am. But I'll be moving on when the time is right. I'm on a "spirit journey" of sorts."

The Wandering Pair looked at each other. "Spirit journey?" Amata probed. "And what is clan Kiowa?"

"A tribe of gypsies that wander the wastes," she nonchalantly answered.

"Gypsies?" Lloyd repeated, sounding skeptical. "I've never heard of tribes of wandering gypsies."

"For good reason. We keep to ourselves, mostly, and on the whole normal people are suspicious of us. Strange people with strange ways." She smiled and continued, "But trust me, I'm friendly enough."

"Pardon my asking, but what exactly does it mean to be a gypsy?" Amata asked.

Malika leaned forward. "Our people are interested in reconnecting with our true physical nature. Ask yourself, what makes man different from any other species on this earth? Civilization, of course. But we've seen what that's done to us. We have lost our physical selves, our true instincts. Imagine an animal in the wilderness. His hearing is sharp, his muscles toned and ready for danger. Can you say the same of civilized man?"

They were all slightly perplexed by her words. Lloyd thought for a moment before answering, "Amata and I wouldn't know much about it. We're from one of the vaults."

"Really?" Malika said. "How interesting… people from a far-gone era of civilization, surviving, keeping its traditions alive… Then why have you come out here, to the surface world?"

"We came to find my father," Lloyd answered.

"The fact that you came from a vault and have survived the wasteland speaks volumes of your capacity to learn how to survive, I must say. I never thought people from a vault would have a chance out here on the outside."

"We'll try to take that as a compliment," Lloyd wryly replied. Malika smiled once more.

"So, how does one "reconnect with their physical self" as you put it?" asked a curious Amata.

"There are many ways. Hunting is one of them. As descendants of an entire generation of city dwellers, many of you have forgotten the importance of hunting. Humans are… or were… predators. Hunting helps us to get back in touch with that predatory soul. There are other methods as well. But it's not my place to say. I'm only learning some of them myself. That's what this whole "spirit journey" is about: learning my place in life."

"Well, if you're a primal hunter, why use a gun?" Lloyd asked.

Malika found herself chuckling once more. She was thoroughly enjoying the company. "There are different extremes of the life. Some of us in the clan have chosen to live it to the fullest. That means no weapons, clothes or cooked food. But most of us, like me, are a little more moderate. We recognize the need to balance our human and animal sides." She shrugged. "I take it for what it is. It's a chance to find yourself and to live fully. It's a chance for freedom."

Lloyd continued to ask questions. This woman was certainly unlike any other they had met. "I heard some stories about gypsies, back in the vault. There was this one woman who fancied herself a psychic. They called her a gypsy as a derogatory term. I asked my father once what it meant, and he said it was an old folkish term for people who used black magic."

She shook her head, rolling her eyes slightly. "Hah, they're just rumors that are still spread to this day. It works for us though. It keeps the raiders scared and away from our camps. Though I admit, I don't like that it drives off potential customers."

"Customers? You sell stuff?" Amata inquired.

"I make and sell clothes. Gypsy stuff mostly, and some other odds and ends. On occasion, I have enough meat to trade with. Business has been put on halt for the past few weeks, though, what with the vampires."

Lloyd snapped back to the current situation. "You said you hunted them. Drove them off. The people in Arefu haven't been as lucky. Why haven't you helped them?"

"I have helped them. I light my fires every night, as a distraction. But since they only come at night, I have to be here to make sure they don't destroy my home. And during the day, I mostly sleep, so I can be more awake and aware during the night."

Amata told her, "Evan King was worried. Couldn't you have assuaged his fears a little and let him know you're alive?"

"I could have, I suppose, but I just didn't. I never particularly liked Arefu, I only lived near it."

"What do you mean you never liked it?" Lloyd asked.

She shrugged. "It had no hunters, only people content to live a sheltered life on top of a bridge."

"A judgment that has merit," Charon spoke for the first time in the conversation.

"I don't think so," Lloyd disagreed. He looked back to Malika. "Hunters or not, innocent people don't deserve to die."

"My hands were tied. My interference wouldn't have changed anything, and I couldn't risk leaving my home. I'm sorry if you don't agree."

Lloyd straightened up and said, "Well… it was nice meeting you, Malika, but I suppose we should get going. We came to see if you were alright, and I guess you're doing just fine."

Malika stood up from the couch. "I hope I didn't offend you, Lloyd. I'm not a bad person."

He paused for a moment. "You'll have to forgive me for saying, but I believe that for good people to do nothing about evil is the same as doing evil."

Malika smiled and crossed her arms. "So be it, then. It was a pleasure meeting you all. I look forward to our next meeting."

"Our next meeting?" Amata asked.

The gypsy nodded. "I get the feeling we'll meet again, Wandering Pair."

Lloyd stopped moving. He turned and said, "We never told you that we were the Wandering Pair." He looked around the camp. He didn't notice a radio. Unless one was inside the trailer.

Malika smiled once more and said, "I know you didn't." Before they could respond properly with more questions, she walked back to her trailer, her dog dutifully following. She closed the door behind them.

"Well… that was interesting," Amata commented.

"Yeah… Real interesting," Lloyd sighed as he looked up to the sky. Evening was setting in and the sun was getting lower. "Let's hurry. I don't know what we're going to find but it'll be worse if we don't get back by nightfall." They all agreed and headed onwards, going back the way they came.

* * *

The sun was setting. It was just on the horizon when Lloyd, Amata, Charon and Russ reached the Meresti train yard. After picking the lock on the fence that surrounded the area, they entered it and looked around. Some old trains remained on the tracks, rusted with age, and there were two large, dark tunnels that descended into the depths of the earth.

"Something about this place feels wrong," Charon said. "There is danger here."

They looked around. The black ash under the trains sure looked like it was the same stuff from the West family shack. "I don't see anybody," Lloyd noted.

"It's getting dark, Lloyd. I don't think we should stay here," Amata said uneasily. This whole situation was strange and she felt it was getting worse by the minute.

Lloyd looked at the two large concrete tunnels. He wasn't sure he wanted to go in there. Maybe they could return in the morning, with more time and more firepower.

Charon suddenly whipped out his shotgun. "Noise and movement!" he said in a rushed tone. Lloyd took out his rifle and Amata her SMG. Russ began growling, his ears flat against his head.

"Where?" Lloyd asked. He scanned the train yard, seeing nothing.

"Stones falling to the west," Charon reported, his shotgun fixed on that location. They slowly began walking back to the entrance, when they heard more movement. Russ barked, and Charon fired a warning shot into the air.

"I don't see them," Lloyd said, panning with his rifle.

Amata caught a glimpse of something moving on the other side of the train. She fired a few shots, missing entirely and only hitting the metal of the train car. Upon hearing her gunshots, the others looked at where she had aimed but similarly saw nothing.

Charon heard more stones being kicked aside. They were moving in circles around them, confusing them. "We're being flanked," he told Lloyd. Russ barked a few more times.

Just then, they all stopped as about ten people sprang up from all around them, brandishing guns. They stood atop the train cars, jumped out from in between them, one of them even jumped out of the black powder, covered from head to toe in the material. They all carried weapons and they were all pointed at them.

"Surrounded," Charon said with a sour tone.

"Drop your weapons!" one of them called out, a man standing on top of one of the trains.

They hesitated, and the one that spoke shot the ground at Lloyd's feet, at which point he repeated his command. Grudgingly, they dropped all of their guns. A few of them advanced and took them. Amata knelt to hold Russ back as they got close. Lloyd noticed that these people looked like normal, albeit slightly dirty, wastelanders and not vampires. He put his hands up and he asked, "Are you going to kill us?"

The one atop the train arrogantly replied, "If we wanted to do that, we'd have let you walk out of here. It's getting dark, and soon they'll come out. If you want to live, you'll come with us. If you want to die, you can stay outside."

"Of course we'd die if we stayed outside. You took our weapons," Charon said.

The man atop the train seemed to ignore him. "You'll come with us now. Vance will be interested in meeting you."

They began being guided towards the tunnels at gunpoint. 'Oh, this is getting just rich,' Lloyd thought. 'I hope Harkness and the others are doing better than us.'

* * *

The sun cast its last wicked rays of light across the land as it finally vanished beneath the horizon. The door to their home opened automatically, and they spilled forth like a pack of hungry animals. They numbered over forty, and they all charged towards Arefu, save for several of them, led by the largest of the creatures. He led them towards Meresti, the home of their most hated enemies. But it was not to hunt their former brethren, no. There was new blood in this land: stronger, different... and it called to them.

Harkness walked along the edge of the bridge. Night was coming. In preparation for whatever might come for them, he switched the spectrum of his sight to night vision. He looked back at the others. Evan King was up, preparing his gun, and Lucy was standing alone, looking out over the landscape. They hadn't spoken since their conversation earlier.

Since then, he had thought about it frequently. He wasn't quite certain why. He believed he may have hurt her feelings. It was strange to him... every minute or so, his thoughts returned to the girl. With so little else to occupy his mind, he couldn't help but continue to think about the questions she had raised in him. Did he love?

He remembered his words once, "Self-determination is not a malfunction." He was built to be as human as possible, at least physically, and somehow he had developed a human level of self-awareness and personal choice. He had learned to think for himself, so he wondered, could he learn to love like a true human?

He looked back at Lucy. Maybe... it wouldn't hurt to take a chance. As he approached her, his brain analyzed millions of possible reasons why this would be a bad idea. 'Android perspective: Life in the wasteland is often characterized by being short and tragic, especially so to the emotional. Secondary subject Lucy West has proven to be emotional. Insufficient data regarding projected longevity of life of both primary subject A3-21, android, and secondary subject Lucy West, human. Location Capital Wasteland has proven itself to be unpredictably random and highly dangerous. Consider: Biological creatures age, primary subject A3-21 may not. Insufficient data and no experimental analysis or proof of aging in primary subject A3-21. Hypothetical statistic: Should a relationship develop, possible chance of her aging while primary subject A3-21 does not, 97.8%. Sexual drive not found. No instance of sexual attraction or simulated biological arousal in past records, no comparison available to provide adequate judgment on success or failure of the reproductive act.'

'Human perspective: This could be a grave betrayal to her, getting into a relationship and not telling her that you happen to be a synthetic life-form. What happens when she finds out? What if she wants children? Can this really be a good choice? Come on, Harkness, you don't need to feel obligated to pursue a relationship just because she brought it up. There are bigger things to worry about and you might create another awkward situation. Things could get complicated. Why take the risk? Then again... this might not be so bad. You always wanted to be human, right? What could be more human than love? And besides, you've learned about dating from hearsay and talking with others. Sometimes things don't work out. It might not be anything more than a brief fling. We might end up as just good friends. Just give it a shot. And maybe, just maybe... this could be something more. But then again...'

Harkness tapped on her shoulder. She turned and looked up at him. "Christopher?"

"Lucy," he began. Few times in his life had he been this conflicted. "I was thinking..." 'Five million thoughts at once,' his human side thought.

"What?" she asked. He switched his vision back to normal. In the rising moonlight, her eyes shined what he could describe as a rather pretty shade of blue.

'Focus,' he thought. "I just wanted to say..." He stopped. Something was wrong. Very, very, _very _wrong. "Move!" he suddenly cried, forcefully pushing her aside. The figure leapt up onto the ledge they were standing near, slashing the now-empty air Lucy had just been standing in with clawed hands. Harkness, who had backed up a few feet, switched to night vision and scanned it. Pale skin. Black, dirty, blood-caked hair. Blood does not belong to target. Tattered clothing, hastily assembled with little care for personal safety or warmth. Fingers end in sharp protrusions of bone and are lined with a biologically produced metal alloy. Multiple sharp teeth revealed through a wicked smile. Forked tongue. Heavily mutated, multiple signs of genetic alteration. Skin composition highly vulnerable to sunlight. Digestion draws sustenance from blood. Analogous to a vampire. "Oh, lovely."

The creature hissed and smelt the air. It seemed confused as it looked at Harkness. He didn't smell human.

The android knew when to take advantage of a situation. With lightning speed, he drew his weapon and fired, the bright green pulse of plasma hitting the vampire in the chest, sending him flying backwards. It howled in pain as its chest burned with green liquid. Its cries were stopped when it hit the water below. It kicked and screamed as it tried to swim before it was dragged to the bottom on the riverbed and torn apart by mirelurks.

Harkness' latent senses kicked in. He wasn't distracted anymore. He could hear them scaling the pillars of the bridge. One of them jumped on top of a shack, howling in the night air. Harkness aimed and fired, but the creature ran and leapt from shack to shack, causing him to miss again. Three green shots soared across the sky as Harkness missed two more times. After leaping off the last shack it hit the ground rolling and running up to Evan King. As it was about to gut him, Harkness sank three shots into its side and neck, dismembering its arm and head.

Lucy got up and looked around. The vampires were appearing over the sides of the bridge, crying out and drooling as they displayed their fangs. They banged on the shacks and jumped around. She took out her pistol and aimed, but one of them to her left kicked the gun out of her hands. As it was about to descend upon her, a bright green hole was burnt into its chest. Harkness advanced to her position, calm and calculated as he reloaded his rifle with fresh microfusion cells.

With near-precision accuracy, he tracked and targeted each vampire. Shot after shot he began to take them down with a ratio of three hits to a single miss. Evan King began shooting, but he only served as beneficial suppression due to his poor aim. At least, he was, until five of them swarmed over him and bit into him. Harkness tried to help, but as he watched one of them tear out the unfortunate man's throat, he knew he could do nothing more.

"Lucy!" Harkness called out, "Get to your gun!"

"I don't see it!" she said, frantically searching the ground. One of the vampires suddenly leapt out from behind them and on top of her. She screamed as it scratched her face, drawing blood. Harkness whipped around and kicked it off her. It rolled, but before it could get up to its feet, he planted his boot into its neck and aimed at its face. It howled and was then silenced, its head nothing more than a pile of green, glowing goo.

As he pulled away, one of the creatures tackled him to the ground. Its snapping face was held at bay by his rifle, which was the only thing in between the two of them. They both pushed against the other as they grabbed at the plasma rifle. The creature's drool hit his face and he gritted his teeth. Eventually he got the upper hand and forced the butt of the rifle into its face. It fell back, but two replaced it. They grabbed the rifle and forced it out of his hands, at which point it was tossed aside.

As they stood over him, preparing to tear him apart, he analyzed the situation. Primary weapon taken away, multiple hostiles closing in and behind him, he heard Lucy shout his name.

'Code red situation. Primary focus: Lucy West in danger. Secondary focus: A3-21 in danger. Unlocking previously self-locked combat subroutines… Combat subroutines unlocked. Primary Subject A3-21 now 100% combat efficient.'

Two swift kicks to their faces with his right leg followed immediately by sweeping his left leg to trip both of them freed him of immediate danger. He jumped up to his feet and ran to his left, punching down one of the creatures. Another advanced on him from behind, but was halted by a swift roundhouse kick, causing it to flip onto its stomach and groan in pain. He ducked down as a claw swiped at his face, popping up a moment later to deliver three rapid punches to its face, followed by a devastating elbow slam to its stomach, putting it down.

They howled once more and they all advanced upon him. As one neared, he grabbed its outstretched arm and twisted it around, manipulating the monster into a position where he could easily snap its neck with his other arm.

They all halted as he dropped the body. They weren't smiling anymore. After a moment, they closed in on him from all sides.

His kicks were like finger snaps. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight of them were down on the ground in rapid succession. With eight of them holding their faces and reeling in pain, the second group to advance upon him paused in fear and surprise. One from behind tried to hit him and missed as he bent forward. Another in front of him tried a higher attack, leaving his midsection open to a powerful punch.

Lucy, wiping blood from her face, looked at Harkness with wide eyes. She couldn't believe her eyes as she watched him fend them all off; it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. His limbs moved with such speed and he displayed what seemed like precognition as he dodged their attacks as though he saw them before the creatures even thought of them.

One of them leapt at him and he grabbed it in the air and threw it at two others and then quickly punched another that had tried to attack him from the side. After that one fell to the ground he attacked another, similarly tossing him out of the way. Quickly crouching under another set of claws, he twisted and forced his elbow into the monster's side. He stood up, grabbing the vampire's head and forcing him to the ground as he delivered a roundhouse kick to one of the advancing creatures.

One of them got close enough to grab his chest. He used its momentum against it and tossed it over his head, kicking another in the process. After he knocked another side with the back of his hand, he then raised his hands in a flexing position, hitting two of their faces at once. He kicked one in the neck and twisted it in such a way that he killed the creature outright. Undeterred and filled with rage, they continued to charge him and he continued to fend them off. They continued to fall to his attacks and when they tried outright swarming over him with their superior numbers, he grabbed two of them by the collar and swung them around, eventually tossing them aside. He aimed a punch at one's face, but stopped just before he made contact. Instead he kicked the creature's leg at the knee, bending it backwards and snapping it on the spot, incapacitating it as it gave a pained cry and tried to crawl away with its shattered leg.

He punched two more before finally one of them managed to scratch him across the back of his neck, drawing deep blood. Having already turned off his pain receptors, he rolled forward through the crowd of vampires, right up to his plasma rifle. He was given very little time to reload but for a calculating android operating at 100% combat efficiency that was all it took. He fired, killing them with precision-calculated accurate headshots. At last they began to flee and he found himself shooting at the vanishing backs of the vampires.

He stood up tall and watched them run for a moment before looking over at Lucy, who looked up at him with eyes that held fear, wonder and doubt. Her cheek was still bleeding, with three distinct lines of blood running from just beneath her right eye to her jaw.

He knelt in front of her. "You're hurt. We need to clean that up." He regretted not having medical equipment on him. "Maybe Evan King's house or one of the settlers inside has a medical pack."

"Christopher..." she said, tentatively reaching up to touch his arm, just to confirm that he was real and she wasn't seeing visions brought on by, for all she knew, what could have been either death or a near-death experience.

"Don't move your face too much. The bleeding is still continuing but it can be made worse. Here, let's get you—"

He was interrupted by her sudden kiss. She pulled away and smiled, ignoring the pain from the scratches.

He looked surprised, and he spoke softly, "That was... nice, Lucy..."

Her smile widened, and her cheeks reddened (not just from the blood on the outside of her face). "We should do it again sometime," she said, feeling emboldened by his words.

"First thing's first, let's fix that cheek."

* * *

Jericho dropped his cigarette as he heard them coming down the bridge. He took out his rifle and fired at them, managing to take out some of their legs which caused them to trip and release pained cries. Though some of them escaped, he approached the ones he had downed to finish them off once and for all. After he had done so, he cracked a smile and laughed at how easy that had been. He turned around with the intent to walk back to his post and light up another cig, but one of the vampires suddenly pounced on him. He cursed and held its neck at bay as it snapped its jaws and hissed.

"Gah! Fuck... you!" Jericho growled as the creature's claws dug into his wrists, but he didn't relent and kept squeezing. Its red eyes were wide when he finally choked the life out of it. The dead creature fell atop him and he pushed it off, standing up to dust himself of dirt.

Another one leapt at him from behind, but before it could hit him, a gunshot was heard and a bloody hole appeared in the monster's forehead. It too fell dead, leaving a very surprised Jericho.

Up in her camp, Malika smiled as she reloaded her rifle. 'See. I do my part,' she thought to herself with an air of feigned smugness.

* * *

The four were being led through the underground tunnels, taking care not to trip on any of the train tracks or debris. Lloyd noted that, to their credit, these tunnels were cleaner than most he had been in. They navigated by way of lights at each junction that he assumed could be turned off to make it harder for unwelcome outsiders to find their way around. As they went deeper and further down, they noticed more people, some of them children, conglomerating in small groups. They all noticed their approach and armed escort and began whispering to each other and gesturing with subtle hand signs.

Amata looked back and noticed that many of them had begun to follow after the escort. One particular thing she took note of was the public display of two teens vigorously kissing, who ignored the large party as they walked past. Charon strode alongside them, stoically silent as per the norm, his pale eyes darting around, alert for any threat that might manifest itself. Lloyd was growing uncomfortable. He felt paranoid about it, as he was certain the majority of the people they passed were staring at him alone.

"We're nearing Meresti," one of the guards, the man from before, told them. "You'd do well to avoid making fools of yourselves in addition to being outsiders. If there is one thing Vance despises, it is unintelligence."

"Who is Vance?" Lloyd dared to speak. One of them poked the back of his helmet with their gun.

"Save your questions, human."

The way he said that, in such a venom-laced tone, coupled with the choice of the term 'human' as if to imply that he was human and they were not, troubled Lloyd. Things were getting very interesting.

They went through a small doorway and stepped into a tunnel that ended in light on the other end. At the prodding of the guards, they proceeded into a very large room that once served as a public train boarding station. Two large trains in the center of the area had been cleared of all debris and served as living quarters. All around them were tables with plates and couches with more people who stared at them. Above the trains was a higher platform of concrete that was accessible by two broken escalators that now served as stairs. The room was lit by many light sources, notably a long string of lights that reached around almost the entirety of the higher platform.

The four were instructed to stop in the center of the lower area. Russ was on edge and growling, so Amata knelt down to pet and reassure him, though she herself was just as worried as the canine.

The rest of the people, Lloyd assumed at least seventy, poured in around them and took seats. Former subway benches had all been turned towards the raised platform like some kind of makeshift church. The man Lloyd assumed had to be Vance walked to the edge of the higher platform and placed his hands on its railing as he leaned over and looked down at them. His face was sharp and angular, his chin and cheeks defined and his brown hair was admittedly clean-looking. He wore a brown trench coat with waster clothing beneath. His eyes, however, were piercing and observant, and under their gaze, Lloyd felt uncomfortable.

He spoke. "Welcome to Meresti..." he paused and audibly sniffed the air before adding, "...human. I wish to speak with you, and you only." He pointed at Lloyd. His manner of speaking was precise, calm, slow and dramatic, almost calculated. His charisma certainly wasn't lacking.

After looking back to the others, Lloyd stepped a few feet forward from them. "Alright," he said, holding out his arms, "here I am. You've certainly rolled out the red carpet."

Vance chuckled, and a drier laugh it couldn't be. "My people call me Vance. I lead this group of weary travelers and outcasts who need a home. And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Lloyd thought for a moment. He intended on thinking through his words very carefully. "This... society is very different than any other I have encountered in the past," he said.

Vance nodded. "What you see before you is the last bastion of hope for the downtrodden and misunderstood. It is a sanctuary for the oppressed and a beacon of faith for the tyrannized. We are the remnants of society, cast aside like the clean-picked bones of a hunter's feast." Lloyd was impressed with the man's vocabulary and wondered where he been so clearly educated. "We are the Family. Long ago, I led my flock beneath the sunbaked sands of the wasteland to keep them safe and teach them my ways. Men of science would call us cannibals, eaters of human flesh. Society labels us as monsters, demons and the unclean. You see, we are—"

"Stop," Lloyd said, holding up a hand. "There's little need to continue. I know what you are."

Murmurs swept the room. Vance smiled. "Bold, human. Clearly you possess a level of cognition above the average wastelander. What might your name be?"

"Lloyd Freeman." At that, mutterings could be heard all over the room. Hushed tones and wide eyes were all shot his way. A woman approached Vance from behind and spoke into his ear. The man seemed to think for a moment before setting his sight on Lloyd once more.

"Lloyd Freeman, the one and the same Lloyd Freeman of the Wandering Pair from Vault 101?" Lloyd nodded. "And I suppose this means your companions are the same from the story? Amata, wasn't it? And the ghoul and the dog?"

"Charon and Russ," Lloyd corrected.

Vance laughed and clapped his hands a few times. "Delightful. Utterly delightful. Never has Meresti been graced by ones such as yourselves; vault dwellers. You must understand what it is like then, yes? To be in an alien world, to feel alone and isolated, to feel out of place and without a home?"

"Wait, how exactly do you know us?" Amata spoke up. Lloyd expected a harsher response from them, but perhaps their newly revealed identities gave her a right to speak.

"Why, Galaxy News Radio, of course. My people have few ties to the outside world but radio is one thing I do allow. It lightens the mood and the ever-entertaining Three Dog is quite enjoyable. My people know your story, as do I. A wayward son searching for his father... it's all very absorbing."

"With all due respect, that's not why we're here," Lloyd pointed out. "We're here because of the murders in Arefu."

Vance smiled. "I suspected as much. But first, we got a little distracted. You were about to tell us what we truly are, as you so claimed to know?"

Lloyd closed his eyes, swallowed, and looked up at Vance. "You're vampires."

Their leader's laughter echoed through the hall, and others joined him. "Lloyd Freeman, tell me, do you think I believe I can turn into a bat and fly away? Of course not. Do I cast my image in a mirror? Absolutely." Lloyd was beginning to feel foolish. "Now ask me if I believe these individuals from every corner of the wasteland need me to give them a sense of purpose and identity. I have shown these people the ways of the vampire. I've provided them shelter, organization and a sense of belonging."

"Then you did murder the people in Arefu," Lloyd accused.

"Murder is a very strong word, my friend," Vance replied. "My people did not kill anyone in Arefu."

Lloyd's green eyes narrowed. "You deny being a vampire, but you don't deny following their ways. The bodies in Arefu were attacked by humans biting their necks and draining them of blood. Explain that."

Vance sighed. "An unfortunate thing, certainly. But my people do not kill. It is not the way of the Family. We feed only on each other, never on helpless outsiders. Even if all of us look different on the outside, we all had the same vice infesting our insides, the same hunger and drive. But now, through my teaching, these subjugated people have come together and formed a bond stronger than mere friendship. Each of us is a source of life-giving blood, and we share it amongst ourselves. That is why we are the Family, for that is what we are... related by blood."

Lloyd shook his head. "You're dodging the issue, here. We're here because one of your people killed people in Arefu."

"Answer me this, first: what led you here?" Vance countered.

"I'll tell you. First is the fact that they were killed by bites in the neck and drained of blood. Second, Evan King told us that you, the Family, had been giving them trouble for a long while. Third, the black powder found on one of the bodies was the same used in the train yard above."

"Interesting... Deliberately falsifying a murder scene to lead pursuers to our home... It seems they're getting smarter."

Lloyd's eyebrow slowly cocked upwards. "Care to elaborate, Vance?"

"Human... Lloyd Freeman, there are larger things going on right now. You must understand that my people are not murderers, that I would not lead them astray down such a path. I have never made one of my family to do something they did not desire. You must see this, and trust me. If you can and will, I shall reveal to your people the truth of the murders in Arefu."

Lloyd felt more than a little frustrated. He wasn't sure if this was a trick or not, but seeing as he had very little left to lose, he responded, "Alright, Vance. I'll trust you. I only care about the truth of why the people were murdered."

"Very well. Some time ago, our people numbered larger, just over a hundred. One of them among us was a man who I came to respect and find friendship in. His name was Blackwell, and he was a scientist who shared our beliefs. As time went on, he began to deviate from our way of thinking... he believed that our future strength lied in genetic alteration to make us more vampiric. He began his experiments without my consent and when we discovered what he had done to one of our brothers, we banished him. He was not without support from others, however, and so, when he left, his own followers left with him, numbering around thirty. It is the darkest day in our history."

Lloyd waited until Vance was finished to speak again. "I take it Blackwell didn't stop his experimenting, did he?"

"No. He left, and set up a new lab somewhere else. Now, it appears, he has perfected his template for true vampires and has begun to unleash them. My people have only seen them from afar. I know not if Blackwell has instructed them to stay away from us, out of some sense of former kinship or if he has other plans. I cannot say."

"So you're telling me that Blackwell bred an army of super-humans with vampiric qualities?"

"Precisely."

Lloyd paused. "...Shit." He rubbed his forehead, muttering, "For once, I wouldn't mind for things to be simple." He looked up at Vance. "These creatures are murdering innocent people. Help me stop them."

Vance closed his eyes and shook his head. "No. They were once our brothers. We shared their blood, and they shared ours. We cannot kill them."

"But they're not even borderline human anymore!" Lloyd argued. "Their blood is... tainted, I don't know! You must understand that Blackwell isn't making them better, he's turning them into monsters that kill." He paused. "There is honor in what you do here, I can respect it, but don't turn a blind eye to what he is doing! If Blackwell makes it so that they can turn others into vampires themselves, then the entire Capital Wasteland is in danger. There's a lot of innocent people out there. Children. People just trying to get by. You can't condemn them." Vance's followers were talking amongst themselves with great fervor now.

"And yet they would condemn us," Vance countered.

"Maybe so. But I wouldn't, and I intend to stop Blackwell, with or without your help."

Amata closed her eyes. She knew Lloyd would jump at the opportunity to fight Blackwell, regardless of Vance's response.

Vance seemed a little surprised. "Your passion is inspiring, Lloyd Freeman. I had always assumed that if a human happened upon our home, it would be for the purpose of our extermination... It appears my fears were ill-placed, at least in your regard. It is a pleasant surprise to meet someone as amenable as yourself. I want you to know that I respect the words you are speaking, however..." Vance moved from his position and began to descend the stairs. Lloyd watched as he approached. He noted a sword belted at his hip that he couldn't see before.

"...However?" Lloyd asked.

Vance was silent for a moment. "However... I question your sincerity when it comes to us. We don't often let outsiders leave when we bring them here."

The vault dweller contemplated his words while continuing to meet his stare. "What do you do with them?"

After lighting a cigarette and taking a slow drag, he replied, "Most outsiders would betray us, try to take our home and our supplies, harm my people. It's happened before. We're careful about who we let in, but we're even more careful of who we let out."

"I thought you weren't murderers," Lloyd said with narrow eyes. He was slightly sweating.

"Self-defense isn't murder," was all that Vance touched on. "So prove to me, Lloyd Freeman, that you we will not regret letting you leave."

Amata and Charon were on edge, just like every other person in the room. They knew that a lot was riding on Lloyd's next words.

He swallowed. "Like you said... we understand. We know what it's like, living underground, never seeing the sun. But we chose to leave that life, and we left for the right reasons. You heard our story and the things we've done for innocent people. If my words aren't enough, our actions speak clearly enough." He then added, "If you want to live here and make your own life, I wouldn't dream of holding it against you, or betraying your trust. Just let us leave and I promise we won't."

They both said nothing for a moment. Vance spoke, "Walk free. But I firmly believe that violence is the last possible action the Family must take. I'll not endanger my people by going to war, Lloyd. I'm sorry."

"Tell me where Blackwell is," Lloyd said in a demanding tone.

"No. I do, in fact, know, but this is not your battle," Vance told him. "It is mine."

"I thought you weren't going to take your people to war," Lloyd reminded him.

"Not my people. Only myself." Vance smiled as he said, "Don't think yourself obligated to help others, Lloyd Freeman."

"It's not my obligation, it's my choice," Lloyd corrected.

"Then I would dissuade you from attempting to help me. Blackwell was part of my family, and I made the choice to let him live. Now, your words have stirred a great realization within me. Living here, amongst my own kind, far underground and out of sight and mind of the surface communities, it has been all too easy to ignore them. But if I truly believe my values to be superior compared to theirs, how can I stand idly by when they are put in danger from my past choices, when they would not come to our aid were the situation reversed?"

Upon digesting his words, Lloyd said, "You mean to prove yourself more noble by defending them from harm, specifically because they wouldn't do the same for you."

Vance nodded. "I have chosen to end the threat Blackwell represents. You can leave this land and return on your own quest, as this is something I wish to do alone."

Lloyd asked, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I am. Your weapons will be released to you. Arefu is not far, you should be able to return there without danger if you move quickly."

"Is it safe outside during the night?" Amata asked.

"Should you wish to remain here until morning, you may," Vance offered.

Lloyd held up his hand. "No, we'll go back to Arefu. Our friends are there."

The vampire leader nodded once more and said, "Very well, human. I have enjoyed our time together. I am certain our paths with cross again."

"Here's hoping," Lloyd said. Amata couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "Oh... and one more thing," Lloyd suddenly said, causing Vance to turn around. "Do you know anyone named Ian? Ian West?"

Vance straightened and his eyes widened with grim recognition before slowly nodding. "I do. He was one of us, living a secret life from his parents. Just as he was finally ready to break free of the shackles of his past life... Blackwell went rogue and he took Ian with him."

"Why didn't you stop any of your people from leaving?" Lloyd asked.

He sighed, saying, "I believed that it was the right of every member of the Family to make their own choices. I can see now that I was wrong... I shouldn't have let them leave. I should have seen what would become of them. As I said, it is the darkest day in our history. But now history will finally have resolution."

Lloyd only said, "I see."

"Good luck finding what you seek," Vance called out as he walked up the stairs. "We all could use it in these unfortunate times."

They left not too soon afterwards, once more equipped with their weaponry. They backtracked through the tunnels back to the surface, following the lights placed along the walls.

Charon, surprisingly, spoke first. "That was very intriguing. I've never seen a group of people like them."

Looking back at the ghoul, Lloyd replied, "Yeah... intriguing is certainly the word I would use."

Amata walked up alongside Lloyd and said to him, "I'm a little worried, Lloyd. What happens now?"

"We go back to Arefu and tell Lucy that her brother is gone. That's step one, at least." Lloyd ran his hand through his hair and thought some more. "Then... I suppose we head back to Megaton. Mission accomplished."

"Was it really?" Charon pondered aloud.

"Nothing more we can do. It's Vance's business." Lloyd saw the end of the tunnel up ahead. "If we're lucky, we can make it back to Arefu and get some sleep before the sun comes up."

"And if we are unlucky?" Charon asked.

As if on cue, Russ suddenly growled and began barking in the direction of the tunnel exit. The dog had caught the scent of something awful. The three quickly armed themselves, Lloyd with the laser rifle he had gotten from the dead merc outside of Rivet City. He figured lasers would be better served in the darkness of night.

They jumped down in front of the tunnel entrance. They could see their silhouettes in the moonlight, eight of them in total. They could see the filthy hair and the wicked claws the creatures possessed. One of them was larger than the others, standing at least as tall as Charon, if not a few inches higher.

Lloyd felt a chill rise up his spine. Amata gulped and said, "Oh, shit..."

For a moment, they all stood still, the only noise being Russ' barking.

Then the monstrous vampires charged into the tunnel. To the credit of Lloyd and his friends, they managed to kill three of them before they were overwhelmed.

* * *

Harkness walked down the bridge with Lucy, once more armed with her pistol, walking closely behind as they approached Jericho's position. The old raider noted their arrival with a sneer. "Fuck went on up there?" he asked.

"Nice to see you alive, Jericho," Harkness replied. He looked around. "I take it you caught some of the leftovers?" he commented on the bodies lying around.

"Vampires, eh? Fuckin' pushovers. Just a buncha fuckin' brahmin, just walking around, waiting to get shot." He stubbornly left out the fact that two of them very nearly killed him.

"Any sign of the others?" Harkness asked.

Jericho flicked a cigarette. "Nah. Nothin' since they left. Kinda pissed off, just been sittin' around all fuckin' night."

The android nodded. "Alright. Stay here, we'll go look for them."

Jericho scoffed. "Fuck that, if you're on the move, then I'm coming too."

Harkness thought about arguing that, but decided against it. He didn't feel like getting on the raider's bad side at the moment. Just then, however, he heard something. "Hear that?" he said to the two of them. He turned in the direction it was approaching from. Of course, being an android, he heard it before either of them. A dog barking and running towards them.

"I do hear it now," Lucy said. "Is that a dog?"

"It is. I think that's Russ," Harkness said as his eyes zoomed in to scan the area. Then, he saw the canine, wounded and bleeding but barking and coming right for them. It stopped at their feet. "He's hurt," he told the others. Lucy gasped and knelt to try to help the dog, but instead Russ ran back a few feet, barked, then turned around to look at them. After a moment, he repeated the action.

"I... I think he wants us the follow him," Lucy said. "Maybe the others are in trouble?"

Harkness' eyes narrowed. "Let's waste no time."

"Damn mutt better not just be leading us to a bone. I'll put him to sleep if he does," Jericho muttered.

* * *

"Wake up."

Lloyd felt horrible. His head ached, his arms were sore and he felt acute pains in various places on his body. Initially all he saw was darkness apart from a dim light above him. He heard water dripping nearby. When he moved his arms, he heard the clinking of chains.

Then it all fell into place. He was chained to the ceiling. The vampires, the evil vampires, had swarmed over him and his allies. One of them tackled him to the ground... that was the last he could recall... Where was he now? Where were the others?

He looked up. There was a man with dirty clothing and greasy, sandy-blonde hair which hung freely. He had a goatee which was in similar state of unkemptness.

"...Who... the hell're you?" Lloyd groggily asked.

"That's not too important." His voice was low, quiet and almost monotone. "The only reason you're alive right now is that I would like some answers."

Lloyd squinted his eyes. "What? Answers... to what?"

The man suddenly grabbed Lloyd's face and got close. Turns out he didn't smell very good, either. "I want to know how you got your blood."

Lloyd struggled against his chains and looked about wildly. "Blood? My blood? What?"

"Your blood!" The man shouted. "Tell me how you got it! I can smell it... like my children smelled it. My precious children sniffed it out and brought it to me... They brought you to me. Now tell me! How did you get your blood?"

"I... I don't know!" Lloyd said, catching on that the man was most likely referring to his healing factor.

"Lies!" The man said. "Nobody just gets this blood! Nobody! Tell me how you made it!"

"I didn't make it!" Lloyd shouted. The man's grip was tightening. "I don't know how I got it!"

The man suddenly let go and stepped back. He seemed to straighten himself out, shaking slightly as if he were cold. He took a deep inhalation of breath. "Fair enough... It matters little. I'll find the secret myself once I see what's inside you." He turned and approached a table.

"What?" Lloyd said. Then it clicked. "You're... Blackwell, aren't you?"

The man ignored his words. "Your blood is very special, yes... the implications of it alone are astronomical. You're comprised of the future of mankind, you are. Everything that you are will be the first step towards constructing a perfect human being... so I really must thank you for donating yourself to this most noblest of causes." He held up a scalpel and watched it reflect in the dim light.

Lloyd's eyes widened. "No. This isn't the way to do this, Blackwell. Turning people into monsters? That's your idea of a perfect human?"

The doctor spoke to Lloyd, still with his back turned to him. "Your blood will make my children almost invulnerable... Soon, they will even walk amongst the sunlight. Your blood will make it so simple to make them even more perfect... their intelligence will even increase, now that the cells of their bodies will be able to so perfectly repair themselves. Remarkable, really... it's everything I ever hoped to achieve, utter perfect, one-in-a-million... and it just walks right into my home."

"You're fucking crazy, are you aware of that?" Lloyd nearly shouted. "Where are my friends? What the hell did you do with them, Blackwell?"

"They don't have your blood. They'll become children themselves. Well, I have doubts the ghoul will survive the process, but the girl…"

"Don't you fucking touch them!" Lloyd threatened. He pulled against his chains. "Don't you fucking touch them you psychopath!" He desperately looked around the room. Dark, metal floors, rust everywhere... his weapons! Atop a table not fifteen feet away were his weapons and backpack.

"No more talking," Blackwell said, turning around. He held a syringe. "Don't worry. It'll be painless. I'm not crazy, you know... I'm not. You won't feel a thing, just hold still."

Lloyd then realized his feet weren't shackled to the wall as well. In hindsight, a foolish mistake for Blackwell. Pushing back against the wall and gripping the chains, he swung his feet up and kicked them outwards, right into Blackwell's chest. The man fell back against the table and looked up at Lloyd with furious eyes.

"There's no need to make this harder than it has to be!" he shouted. He held up the needle and circled slowly around the room, keeping his gaze locked on Lloyd. "Just let me inject you and your entire life will have felt like a bad dream!"

"I'd rather live in the dream, thank you," Lloyd said through gritted teeth. He was ready to kick out again, but he knew he couldn't keep doing that forever.

"You haven't the slightest clue what mysteries your blood will solve..." Blackwell said. "You cannot even grasp the faintest concept of it!"

"I can grasp the fact that you're a goddamn maniac who fancies himself the father of a race of freaks!"

Blackwell suddenly shouted, "No! Not freaks! No! My children will be perfect! They need time to grow, and learn! As of now, they are but that: children! But they will rise and prove their superiority over all of man! They will all know my genius, all of them, and when they look upon my children's red eyes as they stand over their crippled and bleeding bodies, soon to be nothing but red fertilizer for a dead planet, they will beg for forgiveness and mercy, and it shall not be given! They do not deserve it! They never deserved it! They will learn true pain and suffering the likes of which only I can know! Give me your blood! Give me your blood!"

'Sweet Jesus Christ, this guy's an even bigger nut than I thought...' was what ran through Lloyd's mind.

The door to the room opened. Both of them turned to see Vance enter, his sword bloody and a look of grim determination in his eyes.

"You..." Blackwell muttered.

There were no further words. Vance moved up to the man and stabbed him, gripping his shoulder as he slid the blade clean through. "I'm sorry," was all he said. Blackwell fell to his knees, a look of stark disbelief painted on his face. He fell dead, looking up at the ceiling. His eyes were open.

Vance drew his sword out and wiped it clean on the man's shirt. He then stood with his back to Lloyd, possibly thinking about what he had done or just overcome with grief, Lloyd knew not. But finally, he turned back to him and said, "Lloyd? How'd you get here?"

"Bit of a story, that," he said. "Mind helping me down?"

After having done so, Lloyd went to retrieve his equipment. "We were ambushed outside Meresti," he told Vance. "Charon, Russ and Amata are somewhere in here. I need to find them."

"Yes," Vance said. "You go on. I'll... be in here."

As Lloyd was about to leave the room, he stopped and looked back. Vance closed Blackwell's eyes, and seemed to just sit and stare at the body. He didn't look at Lloyd, but he knew the vault dweller was still there. He spoke.

"When I was a boy... I had a family of my own. They died, but I didn't, I escaped and ran. I found a tribe, where I thought I could live a normal life. But that wasn't living. I was an outcast, rejected by all members of that society, harmed if caught during the day. So I learned to live by night. There were a few others, like me, orphans all and willing to do what it took to survive. We learned to defend each other, get by with one another. They were the first people I shared blood with. We grew up together. It was the best time of my life... and then it too ended with me being the only one left alive. Others, incapable of understanding us... they found us and burned us." He rolled up his sleeve and showed Lloyd a visible burn mark on his arm. "And I swore to myself, on that day, as I looked upon the ruined corpses and burnt faces of my friends that I would never allow this to happen again. I would make a Family and nobody would ever be forced to die before their time." He looked up, a small tear running down his cheek. "I didn't kill Blackwell the day he left because of that promise. Others have suffered because of it. Because I didn't kill him... all of my children who followed him had to die. When I let him walk free that day, I killed every single one of them myself." He cupped his face with his hands and said no more.

Lloyd slowly replied, "We all make mistakes, Vance. We're all only human, no matter what we call ourselves. But we learn from those mistakes, Vance, and we don't repeat them." He went and knelt down next to the man. "You can't torment yourself for being a fool. You only deserve to do so when you're the same fool twice." Vance now stared at Lloyd, who continued, "You've got a family, Vance. They need you. Go back to them."

The man was still, but then he put his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Thank you, Lloyd... I truly do mean that I have enjoyed our time together. You have taught me much I thought I already knew."

Lloyd cracked a smile. "Don't mention it."

"Perhaps, then, we'll meet again," Vance mused.

"I hope so." Lloyd left the man to his lonesome.

In the upper levels of Hamilton's Hideaway, a cave system not far from Meresti where Blackwell had set up his lab, Lloyd reunited with Russ, Harkness, Lucy and Jericho. By following Russ, they found Amata and Charon as well, locked in the lower levels. Amata embraced Lloyd when he opened her cell, overjoyed, as she was beginning to believe he was dead, or worse.

Lloyd explained everything to Harkness, Jericho and Lucy, about Meresti, the true nature of the vampires, the Family and, perhaps most tragically, the fate of Lucy's brother, Ian. It pained her greatly, and she hugged Harkness for support and even called him "Christopher," which caused a great deal of surprise and curiosity in Lloyd and Amata. The only thing Harkness did was hold up his hand in their direction, as if to wave away their questions and concerns.

"Well, Evan King is dead. Three people are left in Arefu. What do we do now?" Harkness asked.

"I'd like to bury my parents, before we leave," Lucy said. "Is that alright?"

"Of course it is," Lloyd told her.

Amata proposed, "Maybe the people in Arefu can be persuaded to come with us back to Megaton. There's nothing left for them here."

"Not a terrible idea," Charon said.

"And Lucy, I am sorry about brother, really," Lloyd said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Amata did the same.

"Thanks... that means a lot. Let's just get back to Arefu and finish our business." She turned and left, bringing Harkness with her, as she was holding his hand.

Lloyd whispered to Amata, commenting on the sight of the woman and the android, "Do you think that's a good idea?"

She shrugged. "Not really our place to say, is it?"

He shrugged as well. "I suppose not."

They caught up to them and left the cave system, stepping out into the cold night. They quickly returned to Arefu and spent the rest of the night sleeping there; taking turns to watch for signs of attack from any surviving vampires. In the morning, they set about to gather up the remaining citizens of Arefu. The Ewers and Karen Schenzy were eventually persuaded to come with them. They began packing up their things and dismantling parts of their shacks.

Strangely, nobody could find any of the vampire bodies Harkness or Jericho had left behind. Lucy had told them all about Harkness' incredible fighting prowess, and Lloyd found himself growing more and more curious about everything the android was capable of, given all these new revelations of his incredible martial arts abilities and newfound apparent affections for the young Miss West.

The only thing they could find of the bodies was ash where they once were. Harkness guessed that the sun had burnt them up due to some biochemical reaction in their bodies brought about by direct rays of the sun's light. Lloyd rubbed his forehead, finally understanding what Blackwell meant by saying his children couldn't walk in the sun and why they only moved at night.

Amata had split off from them to go find Malika and see if she wished to travel with them as well, but when she reached the gypsy's camp, it was empty, save for the trailer which was completely stripped of all items. There was no sign of the girl or her dog.

Lloyd had taken it upon himself to find any useful items in Evan King's former home. Harkness helped Lucy cover her parents' bodies in sheets to carry them down the bridge. Using some wood as makeshift grave monikers, they dug two shallow graves for them. Once they were covered up, Lucy set a small note down on her mother's grave, then sat and said nothing for a short while.

"Are you okay?" Harkness finally asked.

"I will be," she quietly replied, accepted his hand and being pulled to her feet. She kissed him, which took him again by surprise and she added, "I think I'll be just fine."

Everyone met up at the bottom of Arefu's bridge before finally heading back towards Megaton, only now with a much larger traveling party. As they left the settlement of Arefu behind them, each reflected in their own way what this land had done for them. Save for Jericho, who didn't really give a damn, as was his way.

Charon and Amata both thought about Vance and the Family, while Lloyd thought about his final confrontation with Vance and the exchange with Blackwell. Harkness contemplated his newfound relationship with Lucy, and she did the same, but only after thinking about her family.

It would be a day's walk back to Megaton, and a largely uneventful one at that. But back in the region near Arefu, one final confrontation would take place on this day.

* * *

Vance exited the tunnels of Hamilton's Hideaway, squinting at the sunlight. He rarely saw it, but he had to admit that it was nice and warm. These were fleeting thoughts only, as he planned on returning to Meresti as soon as possible.

Halfway there, we was stopped when he saw, ahead of him, a woman and a dog. She stood there with crossed arms and the canine sat at her feet, obedient.

"Malika Kiowa..." he muttered.

"How are we today, Vance?" she called out. "Still living underground?"

"Still traveling with murderers?" he coldly replied.

She smiled and pulled out her rifle, before casting it aside in favor of a machete. Vance drew his sword.

"Your hound makes this fight uneven," Vance said as she took off his coat and threw it aside. He drew his sword. Malika could see the burn on his arm.

"Bale won't be joining us," Malika told him. "He is not burdened with the curse of knowing what you are."

Vance shook his head. "Of all days, Malika, you appear before me now."

"I had to wait until you were alone. Isolated. No chance of your Family coming to your aid." She held up the machete. "There's nobody else around, Vance. Only you, I, our blades and the past."

He closed his eyes. "Today I thought I had found resolution for my past mistakes... but the past continues to haunt me. Come, then, you witch, and let us be done with it."

"What mistakes have you made that remain and burden you still?" Malika asked. "I'd like to know. Maybe I can carve them as an epitaph on your grave."

He opened his eyes and set a deadly gaze upon her. "The only mistake that still haunts me is when I left you alive. I may have been a fool once, but I'll not be the same fool twice."

She smiled. There were no more words, then. Only the ring of steel against steel.

And when the sun reached its highest peak at noon, only one of them walked away.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	15. Into an Evergreen Hell We Go

"You two just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Lucas asked through a smirk as they watched the former residents of Arefu disperse amongst the crowd.

"It's not like we don't try," Amata replied with a grin of her own.

Lloyd shrugged and added, "Bad things happen to good people; what else can we say?"

Lucas looked out over the vanishing crowd that had, only minutes ago, gathered to listen to the Wandering Pair's tale of Arefu. Lloyd had purposefully left out quite a few details, speaking only of the vampires and their eradication, leaving out the parts of Vance and the Family. He figured it would just be easier for people to understand that the monstrous vampires were dead and think that there weren't any others left. "Vampires, huh?" Lucas looked back to them. "Are werewolves next?"

Amata held up her hand, with crossed fingers. "Here's hoping not."

"Then what _is _next?" he asked them.

Lloyd ran his hand through his hair as he said, "We get back on track, I suppose. We'll spend the day here and then head out in the morning like we had originally planned, before, you know... the vampires."

Lucas nodded. "Alright then. You kids let me know if you need anything," he told them, clapping Lloyd on his armored shoulder as he did so.

After exchanging glances with each other, they couldn't help but share a laugh for some inexplicable reason. Perhaps it was the fortune they had in surviving the odds up until now in spite of all the dangers, or maybe it was just their lack of words to say. They stifled their merriment when they turned to see Bryan Wilks. He stared up at them with wide eyes.

"You guys fought vampires?" he asked with disbelief and wonder.

"More or less..." Lloyd said. Amata elbowed him in the stomach.

"Vampires," she confirmed.

"Wow... you guys are like the coolest ever!" he said. "Can I come with you next time?"

Lloyd sighed, yet still smiled. 'This kid...' he thought. "Bryan, we spoke about this. It's too dangerous out there."

The boy slowly nodded and looked down. "I know, I know... but you guys have the coolest adventures out there. Maggie and Harden talk about you guys a lot."

"Are you getting along with them?" Amata asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright, they're cool. Can we go play with Russ?" he asked with anticipation in his words.

"Yeah, of course," Lloyd gave his blessing. Bryan smiled again and ran off to find the canine, who was wandering around the premises.

As they watched the boy go, Amata's hand found his waist and she pulled him close. "It's pretty funny, isn't it?" As he was about to ask if she cared to provide some manner of clarification, she said, "Bryan. We have to talk to him like he's our kid."

"Lucy already made that joke," he pointed out.

"I know, but really, the way he talks to us since we saved him... you know what I mean."

"I understand, but we're not. He lost his dad and needs someone new to look up to, but... we have other concerns. Maybe, after this is all over..." he trailed off and looked up at the sky.

She waited for him to go on. "What?"

He looked back into her eyes. "We'll see how it all works in the end. Maybe, if we're still alive, and everything works out... we can be like his parents. I don't know. If there's nobody better, I mean."

The tone of her voice changed to an almost distant one as she asked, "Unwed parents?" She posed a complicated question to him, so he paused, having not expected that kind of question to be raised.

"Well... There's something interesting. Been thinking about... that idea, for long?" he asked.

She decided to look away, to focus on something, anything else. She looked down at the disarmed bomb in the center of the town not twenty feet away from them. After a moment, she continued, "Back in Rivet City, I helped a younger couple get together."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Really? When?"

"When you were running around that rusty old tub trying to find evidence for the android. I, well, pushed them into it." She omitted the fact that she made Diego leave a clergy for the girl Angela. Her voice grew quiet. "I thought, briefly, that maybe you and I... But I haven't thought about it that much. There's other things going on."

Lloyd slowly smiled. Gently, he lifted her chin and began, "Amata..." but words failed him. He stammered on a few words, a rare occurrence, before finally saying, "It's… I mean… You have to know that nothing... would make me happier than that…" he trailed off, at a loss for what else to say.

Silence followed their shared gaze as they both smiled. Amata quickly crushed him in a hug, feeling closer to him than ever before. They hadn't ever seriously talked about such a thing, but just knowing that he wasn't averse to the idea made her happy.

Eventually, however, Lloyd's smile vanished and he said, "But... I... I need to find my father first. There's too much going on to think about... such things."

Her smile faded as well. "Things that don't involve getting shot at?"

"That's not very fair. With our luck, our wedding would turn into a shooting gallery." He flashed her a smile and waited for her response. She couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggling, despite trying to stifle it.

A moment to regain her composure later, she put her hand on his chest and said, "I know, Lloyd, I know. We need to find him. And then, maybe...?" she let the question hang in the air.

"We will," he promised. He leaned down to kiss her, but before he could, a woman walked up to them and coughed to get their attention. They looked at her. It was Karen, one of Arefu's former residents.

"Sorry, but I wanted to express my appreciation for your help. You and your friends, I mean."

There was a brief stall before Lloyd said, "Sure. No problem."

"Thanks again," she said, before turning and leaving.

Lloyd looked back. "Shall we go somewhere more private?" he invited.

With his arm over her shoulder, they walked back to their home.

* * *

Lucy opened her door and invited Harkness inside. He nodded politely before entering.

'Android Perspective: Simple abode. Metal walls, typical structural weaknesses expected to be found with most wasteland shacks, held together by ancillary adjustments over time since its construction. Human Perspective: Homey. I like it.'

"It's not exactly a palace, but it is home," Lucy said as she entered and moved past him. She approached a fridge and took out a Nuka-Cola. "Want one?"

After weighing the options a few thousand times in the course of a half-second, he quickly replied, "Sure, thanks." He held out his hand and she tossed it to him. He proceeded to pop the cap with one hand and place the valuable "coin" into his pocket while taking a swig.

While his android side analyzed its components and continued to question the value of consuming what was, inevitably, a harmful beverage, his human side quelled those thoughts by pointing out that, in moderation, everybody could benefit from enjoying a Nuka-Cola every now and then.

She took a swig and then breathed in deeply as it cooled her throat. "That hits the spot." She took out her guns and placed them on a nearby table, taking off her sunglasses as well. "You can probably drop that gun and helmet of yours," she said.

Harkness did just that before he sat down on a chair. She sat in one not too far away and angled it to face him. She crossed her legs and said, "So."

Harkness smiled faintly. "So?"

She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, her elbow resting on her knees. "Wanna talk?"

He shrugged. "If you'd like to."

"We haven't had a lot of time to talk since... you know." She pointed to the small scar on her cheek left by one of the vampires. "I wanted to know where you learned that stuff."

"I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you I just kind of picked it up?"

"Uh-uh. Nobody just "picks up" that kinda stuff. Where'd you learn?"

"Was in a military outfit. I learned defensive martial arts."

"Here in the Capital Wasteland? The Brotherhood?"

"No. Elsewhere... north. Fell out of military service and drifted down the coastline."

"Did you leave family behind?"

"No. No parents, living that is. Only child. Didn't have any friends."

She sat back a little. "That's funny, you seem like a friendly guy. Didn't have any war buddies? Who were you fighting?"

He looked away. He wondered how many more questions he would have to make up answers for. "No. I... worked alone, most of the time. Solo running, scouting, reports. We were fighting... hunting, more like..." he paused and seriously considered what he should call the androids he hunted down, "...Machines. Robots. Rogue machines with a kind of faulty programming that made them... dangerous."

He was glad Jericho wasn't in the room. He'd have loved to throw the hypocritical logic of calling his fellow androids "robots" when he himself disrupted the claim adamantly.

"You must have been the best among them," she guessed.

"I was." And he was, indeed, but for other reasons.

"Interesting... So... why did you need to learn how to punch a robot?"

'Damn. That's a surprisingly very good question.' "There were other issues in the region. Sometimes you find yourself without a weapon and you need to be able to defend yourself. That's where the training comes in. People, mutants, animals, deathclaws."

She sat up in surprise. "You've fought deathclaws?"

"Ah… haha, no. But maybe I could."

She seemed to accept the answer. She grew quiet before asking, "So... I don't mean to pry, or anything, but I've been thinking about something you said… If you don't mind my asking, why didn't you love your wife?"

Now this... this, he had to come up with a very good response for. He knew he had to word it in a way and make it plausible enough for her to believe and make it so she wouldn't want to bring it up again. He liked Lucy, or perhaps, he liked the idea of liking her, he wasn't sure. But he'd never know if he didn't try to overcome the obstacles in his way.

"Huh... well. Fair enough. I suppose you deserve to know." He cupped his mouth and appeared to be in thought. Lucy patiently waited until he replied. "There was a time... when I loved her. But things kind of just... fell apart. I was in the military, and never made time for her. And she was, in her own way... distant from me, too. We ran into a marriage and it didn't last. That's all I'm really willing to talk about. It's in the past and it was far away." He met her gaze as he added, "I've made mistakes, but I've learned from them."

Lucy seemed to pick up on the idea that he didn't want to talk about his fictional wife. She decided to change the subject. "So, um... where do we go from here?"

"Lloyd is setting out in the morning on his previous intended course before you intervened, not that that's a bad thing, mind you. It'll take him dangerously close to raider territory. He'll need me there."

"Then that's where we'll be."

Harkness raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I couldn't stop you with a very good argument regarding your personal safety?"

"You 'suppose' correctly," she said with a smile. "It'll be fun!"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Lucy, as much as I'm growing fond of your enthusiasm, I must ask you to be completely serious in answering this question: are you absolutely certain you want to go with us, despite the trauma you've been through, the wounds you've sustained and the high probability of further danger?"

She thought over his words carefully and then stood up to walk over to sit on his lap. He leaned back to make her more comfortable, but she leaned down close to him. "You're not going to scare me off with a couple'a big words, Christopher," she replied, a hint of mischievousness in her smile. "I don't know what kind of woman your wife was, maybe a 'stay-at-home' type, but she's nothing like me."

Harkness smiled. "I can guarantee you that."

* * *

Jenny kept herself preoccupied like she always did: cleaning dishes inside the Brass Lantern. Ever since Leo's death and Andy's disappearance, she had triple the workload. She closed off the small stand outside the restaurant, unable to make it out there and still tend to customers inside. She now served all customers inside, but it was getting hard to do so. Some people had permanently gone from the Brass Lantern to Moriarty's saloon due to her being unable to keep up.

Someone entered, but she didn't look up. "Get your order?" she droned.

"Hey, Jenny," came a familiar rough voice. She looked up as Jericho sat before her on the opposite side of the bar.

She just stared for a few seconds before saying, "Jericho. Thought you'd have died out there."

"Fuck that," the raider chuckled. "Nothin' out there's man or freak enough to take me down."

"A real shame, that," Jenny said as she resumed washing dishes with her back to him. "Leave."

Jericho scoffed. "Aw, come the fuck on. I really honest-to-god wanted to stop in to say hello."

She shot him a dirty look. "I don't need this, Jericho. I don't fucking need this."

He wasn't smiling anymore. "Rough times, girl? You never let the world get to you before."

She turned again. "The world just never had a chance to catch up. It did."

Jericho sat in silence, looking at her back as she washed plates, bowls and glasses. He tapped his fingers on the bar a few times. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"What?" She didn't look back.

"I said I'm fuckin' sorry," he repeated, louder and more firm. He clenched his fist on the table. "For fuckin' everything up, alright? I'm fuckin' sorry. Jesus fuckin' Christ, can't you at least get that I'm fuckin' trying?"

She faced him with narrow, disbelieving eyes. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I fuckin' am. Shit," he stood up and walked to a wall. He felt like punching it. "I fucked up, Jenny. I fucked up real bad."

"How drunk are you? You must have more alcohol than blood in veins," she accused.

"I'm sober. Holy shit, am I sober," he said. He looked at her. "I came to say sorry."

She thought she could reply, but words failed her. Against all her will and control, tears welled up in her eyes. "Fuck you!" she shouted, grabbing a plate and throwing it at him. He sidestepped and it smashed against the wall.

"Gah, fuck!" he cried.

"You can't just fucking walk in here and say sorry and act like everything's okay! Nothing is! Nothing is fucking okay!" She cupped her face and sobbed.

He sighed. He repeated his words again. "Jenny, I'm sorry."

She ripped her hands away from her face. "Well why? Why now? Why only after the world has chewed up my family and spit it out, why the fuck're you sorry now?"

"Because I've fuckin' seen things, alright? I've been out there with this fuckin' kid and his girl and I've seen things. A completely different life. And I keep seein' the shit these kids do and I keep thinkin' about how much I fucked my life up. I figure I can't fix the past, but at least... at least I can say sorry. Jesus!" He threw his arms out and held them there, exposed and open as he bore his soul.

She stood with tears running down her cheeks and breathing heavily. For a moment, she almost believed him. "No, Jericho. I won't forgive you. Just... just... get out." She pointed to the door.

Resigned to do just that, he walked to the door and opened it. He looked back and said, "Another life, maybe."

He closed the door and all was silent in the Brass Lantern, leaving Jenny alone to her thoughts.

* * *

"So you were in Underworld, eh?" Gob asked Charon. Nearby, Billy Creel sat drinking and Nova was leaning up against the wall. Pleasant tunes rolled out of the radio ever since G.N.R. had gotten a new uplink tower. Outside, the sun had begun to set and the moon was rising.

"Yes," was the tall ghoul's short reply.

"You ever meet a girl named Carol in there? She's kinda like, well, like my mother." Gob chuckled. "I wonder how she's doing out there."

"My previous employer wanted to kill her partner Greta," Charon said without a lot of tact.

"What?" Gob's eyes widened and panic was in his rough voice. "Wha, what happened?"

"Lloyd Freeman set me free and I killed my employer. They both still live, I assure you." Charon said, taking a drink.

Gob sighed deeply and leaned against the bar. "Well, thank god. I guess I owe that smoothskin another drink."

"Speak of the devil," Nova spoke up as Lloyd entered. A few people around the bar raised their bottles to him.

Gob waved. "Smoothskin! C'mere, it's good to see you again so soon. What, couldn't handle bein' away for too long?"

Lloyd smiled and took a seat. "If I could I'd never leave, Gob, really. Water, please."

Gob pulled out a small bottle of water and poured it into a glass. "On the house," Gob insisted when Lloyd prepared to pull out some caps.

As Lloyd was about to drink, the back door in the room opened up. An Irish accent drifted out. "Now, did I just hear what I think I just heard?" Moriarty said as he stepped into the light. He looked at Gob, then Lloyd. "Pay up."

Moriarty. Just the man Lloyd wanted to see. Ever since the man had told him about his true origin, there was something he had wanted to do.

Lloyd put several caps on the table. Gob looked back. "Look, Boss, he shouldn't need to pay. He's..."

Moriarty delivered a slap to the back of Gob's head. "Shut yer gob, Gob," he demanded.

Lloyd stood up, as did Charon. "Moriarty," Lloyd called out as the man was about to leave. When he turned back, Lloyd said, "Don't you ever touch my friend again."

The man looked at Lloyd and Charon and laughed. "Or else what, boy? Whattaya gonna do, eh?"

Lloyd met his gaze and kept his cool. "I'll throw you out of town, that's what I'll do."

"I'd like ta see ya try," Moriarty smiled as he spoke. "I run half'a this damn town."

"Really." Lloyd finished his drink and set it down. "Does that give you the right to keep people on barely any pay while beating them and forcing women into prostitution?"

The man shrugged. "Ya can't prove anyting."

Lloyd cocked and eyebrow and smiled. "Oh, I can. Testimony can be a powerful thing, Colin. Gob, does he beat you?" he asked an obvious question. "Or, better yet, does he even pay you what he originally promised?"

The others in the bar were all quiet and listening. Moriarty now wore a scowl on his face. He looked at Gob threateningly.

Despite that, Gob shook his head. "He doesn't."

Moriarty pointed and shouted, "Aw fuck ya! That ain't tha truth. That ain't tha truth attall. He's a dirty liar, he is. Ya know they all are."

Lloyd ignored the man's comments. He spoke to Gob still. "Is Gob your real name?" he asked.

The ghoul shook his head. "No. Moriarty gave me that name. I'm actually..." he looked at the angered Moriarty and answered, "Gobtholemew." Lloyd did a short double take, as he hadn't quite expected that name.

Before Moriarty could comment, Lloyd looked over at Nova. "Nova. Is that _your_ real name?"

She looked around, suddenly nervous. A burning cigarette was in her hand but she wasn't smoking it. "Uh... I..."

"Ya stay outta this, girl, if ya know what's good fer ya," Moriarty warned.

"Shut up, for god sake," Lloyd snapped at him. "You've done enough talking. Now it's time to let your employees talk for themselves instead of you putting words in their mouth."

"It's not," she suddenly said. The others all looked at her. "It's not. It's just the name I use for... you know..." She looked at Moriarty. "He gave it to me."

"Bullshit," Moriarty objected.

"My... My name is Lucille," Nova said, gaining confidence. "And... well, hell, I'd like to be called that."

"How many years have you worked for Moriarty, Gob?" Lloyd asked, using his shortened name.

"Fifteen," the ghoul quickly answered.

"Fifteen years of servitude while expecting him to pay rent," Lloyd said.

"I bought him, he's mine I tell ya," Moriarty spat. "And Nova too. Damn girl doesn't know where her loyalties lie."

"How many people in this town do you blackmail, Moriarty?" Lloyd asked, remembering some things he had read on Moriarty's terminal a ways back. "How many people would defend you, raise arms for you? How many of them would be glad to see you go?"

The man's eye twitched and he looked around. He was sweating.

Lloyd advanced and didn't stop. "I was stopped twice earlier today by people wishing me well and donating supplies, thanking me. I'd never met'em before." He paused and turned his head a little. "You ever experienced kindness like that? I don't think so. People like me, Moriarty. I'm a swell guy. I don't think you are."

"Shove it up yer ass," he growled. "Ya think ya can just waltz in here and tell me off? This is my saloon. It belonged to me pa. Get the fuck outta here."

Lloyd crossed his arms. "I've been around, Moriarty. I've made friends, faced death and stared super mutants in the eyes. Maybe there was a time when you intimidated me, when I was fresh out of the vault." His mouth twisted into a smile. "Time's up. In more way than one."

Moriarty rapidly approached Lloyd, getting right into the teen's face. "Ye're just a kid... Ya don't know nuthin'. You've been around? I've seen things that'd make yer blood run cold, laddie. I'm not gonna stand here an' be insulted by the likes'a you. Ye're not makin' me go anywhere with justa few words."

Lloyd felt a small knot in his stomach, and suppressed the urge to swallow. He remembered one time, long ago, when he talked down Butch DeLoria. He knew this wouldn't be any different, all he had to do was risk it. He opened his mouth and replied, "I've had enough of you, Moriarty. Megaton has had enough of you. Get out of town."

The man's breath, heavy with alcohol, poured onto his face as he challenged, "Ya gonna make me?"

'Now or never, Lloyd.'

"Yeah, I am." With that, he rocked his head back and smashed it into Moriarty's, trusting that his healing would take away any fatigue shortly thereafter.

Moriarty wasn't knocked to the ground, but he fell back a step with a visible red mark. He grabbed a bottle and broke it with such swift motions that nearly no one could have caught him in time.

Save for Charon, of course.

The ghoul caught Moriarty's arm, tripped him and held him on the ground, applying pressure to the man's neck and arm until he dropped the bottle. Charon stood up and kicked the glass away as Colin gasped for air.

Lloyd took out his .44 and held it up, not aiming it at Moriarty. "I trust we can resolve the rest of this peacefully?" he suggested as he waved the gun around, his finger not on the trigger but near it. He looked at Charon. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," the ghoul replied. He knelt to pull Moriarty to his feet.

"Fuckin'... unfair... little twerp..." the man choked out, struggling to get out of Charon's grasp.

"It pays to have friends." Lloyd looked around at the others. "We're going to take Moriarty out of town now. Anyone have any final words?"

"No right... ya have no right..." Moriarty gurgled. "I keep this town goin'… ya little shit…"

"I got somethin' ta say," Billy said. "Been comin' here a while, seen a lotta things happen in here." He socked Moriarty in the stomach. "And I've wanted ta do that forever."

Lloyd and Charon held the man up as Gob, then Nova, or rather Lucille, proceeded to exact a minor amount of revenge against the man. Gob kicked him in the privates and Lucille put her cigarette out on the man's forehead. Once it was over, they proceeded to drag him through the town. Despite his struggling and shouts, they made it to the front door and threw him out.

"Ya can't fuckin' do this ta me!" Moriarty shouted. "I own this damn town! I've been here for years!"

Lloyd knelt down. "Time to wake up, Colin. Smell that fresh, Capital Wasteland air. It's nice, isn't it? Better get used to it."

As Lloyd reentered the town, with the large aircraft-wings that comprised its outer gate began to seal behind him with the thunderous roar of one of the turbines spinning to power them, Moriarty shouted a curse upon Lloyd and all of his friends.

"We should have killed him," Charon pointed out his opinion. "He could become an enemy."

"I like to think that's not the point of it," Lloyd replied as he patted Charon on the shoulder. "It's not like it was an easy decision in the first place."

Charon looked at him. "So you knew it would happen. That's why you told me to wait for you in the saloon this afternoon."

"I wasn't sure what was going to happen. You were there for security."

Lucas Simms stopped them. "Lloyd... you just threw Moriarty out of town?" The male half of the Wandering Pair simply nodded in response. Lucas sighed. "Well... can't say I'll miss the man. What about his saloon?"

"I thought about that. I think Gobtholemew and Lucille will take over," Lloyd answered. Lucas shook his head, not understanding who he was referring to. "Gob and Nova," he explained.

"Oh," Lucas said, understanding. He thought for a moment. "Nova's name is Lucille?"

"I know! Crazy, right?" Lloyd laughed.

Lucas didn't laugh along with him. "Lloyd... don't let something like this happen again. Since it's you, and since it was Moriarty, I'm willing to let it slide... but you can't throw out anyone you like." Lloyd's merriment ended and he nodded. "Just try not to let it happen again, alright?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I get you, Lucas." And he did. He knew he might have been a bit arrogant or none-too-humble when he spoke of the people of Megaton's high regard for him to Moriarty, but it still seemed justified in a strange way. He did have a knot in his stomach about the entire ordeal, but he convinced himself that it was just the reaction of having to deal with garbage. 'It has a way of making you feel dirty,' he thought, 'even if you wash your hands."

* * *

"So you just threw him out of town?" Amata asked.

"Yeah." Lloyd shrugged as he opened a Nuka-Cola. "Been a while since I had one'a these things..." he muttered as he lifted it up to his mouth.

Amata shook her head. "Lloyd... that wasn't the best of ideas, I think."

"He was an asshole who borderline enslaved people and blackmailed others," Lloyd pointed out. "We both know it."

"Yeah, sure, but isn't this like curing the disease by killing the patient?" she argued. "Oh, no, wait, you didn't kill him, you just exiled him." She threw her hands up and turned away. "Couldn't you have at least asked me how I felt about something like that?"

"Amata," he said as he stood up, "this was something I feel was justified. I'm sure others agree with me."

She relented a little. "Yeah... I know your reasoning, Lloyd, and... I agree, I guess... I'm just worried that this might come back to bite us on the ass."

"Don't worry. He's out on his own, and I talked to Gob and Nova and they'd be more than happy to take over the saloon. Nova... Lucille... said she'll stop being a prostitute, and Gob'll run the place real nicely. I gave him the password for Moriarty's terminal and he erased all of the man's records. He's got nothing to blackmail people with now. Now, I may have been a little... zealous, and that's putting it lightly... but I think the ends justify the means."

They seemed to let it drop at that. "Alright... I trust your judgment, Lloyd. It's kept us alive, mostly, up until now." Lloyd chuckled and continued to drink his beverage. "Russ is outside?" He nodded. "Charon's in the common house? Bryan's in Billy's spare bed?" Again, he nodded. Billy had offered to give the boy his spare bed until Lloyd and Amata could find one for him, and besides, they trusted Billy.

She wrung her hands a little and paced slightly. An idea suddenly popped into Amata's head, of a sort she didn't often entertain but now she suddenly very much wanted to try, and even she wasn't quite sure why. "Hey," she scooted up to him and said. "Do you still have those pajamas?"

"Those what?" he asked.

"Back in Grayditch, that man who was willing to kill over the pajamas. Do you still have them?"

It clicked in Lloyd's brain. "Oh... yeah. The "naughty nightwear" as the guy called it. It's in the locker... Why?"

She had a smile on that he rarely saw. "Put them on," she said, before running upstairs.

"What?"

"Put them on!" She seemed to be in a suddenly playful mood, which he had to admit, was infectious.

Lloyd thought on it for a moment, decided to go along with her little game and went about putting on the loose-fitting, leopard skin pajamas. "Alright!" he called out. "Well? Where are you?"

She descended the stairs, then, causing Lloyd's throat to form a lump. She was wearing a pink single nightdress, not much unlike those the women in Dukov's house wore. She moved slowly, as she was nervous and visibly so. Her cheeks were flushed with redness.

"What do you think?" she asked, quietly.

He stammered a few times. "Where did you get that?"

"Rivet City... I guess I was waiting for the right time to... break it in," she forced out the last words, worried about sounding too inappropriate.

"And... my outfit?" he asked.

"I like it on you," she stifled some laughter by holding her hand up to her mouth. "I think it complements the set."

Lloyd started taking a few steps closer, slowly, as his facial expression changed to a (slightly exaggerated) flirty man's. "Miss Almodovar... I do believe you're trying to seduce me." His hands gently reached her sides, feeling her skin through the thin fabric.

"What gives you that idea, Mr. Freeman?" she smiled up at him.

They slowly embraced and kissed, gradually building up passion. It was going to be a good night. Lloyd briefly thought about them making too much noise for the outside, given the metal walls of their home.

Those thoughts were only brief, however.

* * *

Silver listened to the gentle tunes of G.N.R.'s radio. She took a drag on a cig and then ran her other hand through her platinum blonde hair. Life was getting difficult, and the few comforts she had were wearing thin.

Suddenly, the door to her home was kicked in. She scrambled for her gun and aimed it just as Moriarty ran into the room. He stopped in the doorway, seeing her pistol. His hair was dirty and his eyes were wide and manic.

"The hell do you want!" Silver shouted. She should've known she hadn't seen the last of this pig of a man, but she had almost been certain he wouldn't come after her himself.

"Put the gun down, woman," he breathed. "Just put it down."

"Get the hell out of here!" she ordered, pointing the gun.

Moriarty charged and grabbed the barrel of the gun. Outside the Springvale house, a single gunshot could be heard.

Then, silence.

* * *

It was a routine morning in Megaton for the Wandering Pair. After waking, suiting up, checking their weapons, rounding up their allies and saying goodbye to the various familiar faces, they made some last-minute trades with Moira. The eccentric woman offered to pay them to run a few experiments on Charon, but when they said it was up to him, the tall ghoul refused on the grounds that he didn't like to be poked.

"You're not going to forget about you helping me with the survival guide, right?" Moira asked as they prepared to leave.

"When things calm down a bit, we promise," Amata told her.

"I'll be waiting a few years then, won't I?" the woman flashed a large smile. "Have a good one, you all! Don't die horribly! It'd be an awful shame."

"Noted. We'll try," Lloyd cynically replied.

Leaving Megaton was always bittersweet for the two. Despite some initial issues, things seemed to have picked up. Just like Lucas said, time heals all wounds.

"Now we head west?" Charon asked.

"Yes," Lloyd answered. "Straight west to a garage past Evergreen Mills." As they walked around the wall of Megaton, Lloyd thought about his father's recorded words, discovered on holotapes back in Project Purity.

_"I'm off to Vault 112 to search for anything of Braun's that might help me get this purifier up and running. All I know is that it's West of some place called "Evergreen Mills," and it's well hidden in some sort of garage. But I'll find it, I have to. It's so close, but that's the story of Project Purity, isn't it? An eternity of "almost there's". Let's see if Braun has the missing puzzle piece."_

"Do we still intend to avoid Evergreen Mills?" Charon asked.

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Jericho, give me the rundown on the place again."

"It's a canyon with some kinda big foundry in it. Raiders moved in, some, I dunno, fifteen years ago maybe and made it raider central. Ya can only walk in from the east, all other directions would require, fuck, I dunno, scaling down the side. Point is that its full'a raiders. Fifty to seventy, plus slaves and pets."

"I heard they feed people to captured super mutants in a big pit there," Lucy said as she shivered.

"Raiders aren't known to be too welcoming, either," Harkness pointed out.

Lloyd shook his head. "Too dangerous. Seems that we can avoid it, so we will."

Charon kept silent. Since he usually was, nobody made anything of it.

Lucy had now been traveling with the group for two days, and she made for good conversation, further offsetting Jericho's rudeness or Charon's pragmatism. Her fairly cheery and slightly sardonic humor attitude lightened up things up considerably and they knew her skill when it came to cooking wild animals would come in handy should they ever run low on foodstuffs.

They walked and talked for a good hour before they rounded a large rock and stumbled upon a campsite of five ghouls about twenty feet away, well-hidden in a cave built into the side of the rock. They stopped walking and the ghouls stopped moving and the two groups stared at each other. The ghouls were wearing scrappy clothing and had built a fire around which they sat.

Lloyd decided to take the initiative. "Hey," he called out, unsure of what else to say. "Uh, trade?" Russ growled a little, but didn't show any signs of thinking they were truly dangerous.

Lloyd and Amata had picked up on some of the well-known rules of trading in the wasteland, but the first rule of it was that the intent to trade also meant that no harm would befall either party. It was a good way to ensure that no group of people would unintentionally threaten or harm another.

There was some discussion amongst the ghouls. One of them advanced into the sunlight and came near them. "Thanks for not shooting on sight," he said with a rough voice typical of ghouls. "Most smoothskins kill us, but we can see you got a ghoul with ya, so you're probly not so bad." He made brief eye contact with Charon, who said nothing.

"Name's Lloyd," he introduced himself.

Amata stepped forward a little and asked, "What are you ghouls doing out here in a, uh, cave?"

"We wanted to get to Underworld, but couldn't make it past the super mutants," he explained. "We lost a couple'a people. So we just figured we'd stick it out somewhere in the wastes."

"Do you need any help?" Lloyd asked.

"Nah, we're doin' pretty alright by ourselves. We find that it's best to just kinda do things for yourself, ya know? But thanks for the offer anyway, smoothskin."

"The Maul's been seeing less super mutant activity lately," Lloyd said. "Ever since the Washington Monument fell."

"Oh yeah, we seen that," the ghoul said, pointing towards the D.C. ruins. "Think we might be able to make it in?"

"Maybe, but you should always be careful," Amata reminded. "The super mutants don't capture ghouls, but I'd still give them a wide berth."

He nodded, turned and went back to the cave. With nothing more to speak of, the group continued on its way.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Lucy asked, looking back at the cave in the distance.

"Who knows?" Lloyd shrugged. "It doesn't make me feel very good, sure, but if they don't want any help, who are we to force it on them?"

"They'll be fine," Charon said with a note of finality. There was no more discussion about it after that.

* * *

"What is it, Lloyd?" was Amata's inquiry when Lloyd suddenly saw something and began to move toward it. The others took up pursuit.

"I saw something," was his answer. He stopped at the edge of a crater.

The others caught up to him and looked down.

The crater wasn't particularly large, perhaps the size of a small pond, most likely the result of a small missile that was certainly no nuclear warhead but powerful enough to leave an impact in the ground. In the center of this crater was a tree with a few leaves on its mostly-dead branches.

"What do you make of that?" Lloyd asked no one in particular.

"Looks like a tree, dumbass," Jericho sneered.

"It's got leaves. Must still be alive, even a little," Lloyd said, skidding down the sides of the crater. The others followed suit in no particular order, save for Jericho and Charon.

"What the hell do we care, kid? It's not like this fuckin' tree is gonna wish us away to your dad." Jericho shook his head and took another smoke.

Lloyd ignored him. "Harkness?"

"Remarkable that it has some leaves on it," the android noted. "A strong, or lucky, specimen."

Lloyd muttered something and Amata didn't quite catch it. "What'd you say?" she asked.

He tore his eyes from the tree, smiled and said, "I said it's inspiring, you know; how life finds a way. Even in a dead crater in the middle of an apocalyptic wasteland."

"Think we should take a leaf as a memento?" Lucy suggested.

"No, maybe we should just let it be," Amata countered. "I mean, it might hurt it."

"It's a strong tree, I think it can spare a leaf," Lloyd said. He approached it and delicately plucked one of its green leaves. He told Amata to hold still and slid it into the band around her helmet. "There. Lightens up the place, don't it?"

Amata rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Are we fuckin' done here or what?" Jericho ruined the moment by nearly shouting at them.

They quickly exited the crater and continued west. Well, they tried to, but were suddenly jumped by ten crazed brahmin charging at them.

The mad brahmin had the element of surprise, despite the fact that they were large, two-headed cows and weren't the most mobile of creatures. Fortunately, the time it took for the Wandering Pair and their companions to get over the initial surprise and confusion and also draw their weapons was not longer than the time it took for the mutated cattle to reach their targets.

A moment later, the humans, ghoul, android and canine stood in the center of ten dead brahmin and nobody had much to say about the situation.

"Maybe they smelled the leaf," Lucy quipped. After a moment, Lloyd, Amata, Harkness and herself burst into laughter. Once it ended, she pointed to Lloyd's ripper and said, "Hey Lloyd, help me cut the choice meats!"

Lloyd's smile vanished as he realized he was about to be covered in cow blood. 'Aw, hell.'

* * *

As they proceeded west, farther than the Wandering Pair had ever travelled in that direction, they knew that the small group of raiders they encountered at a burnt-out church were likely not the last they would encounter today.

They walked past the church and a man ran out at them, a mere waster, only to be burnt to a crisp seconds later by a raider with a flamer. After fending off the ambush of raiders that streamed out form the church, they stripped the bodies of anything helpful and searched the church, using Jericho's knowledge of raiders to disarm any traps inside, like tripwire-activated shotguns and grenades that hung from the ceiling in small bouquets. After scavenging a sufficient amount of food and ammo, and taking their weapons for future sale and spare parts with which to maintain their own, they left the church behind.

In the distance, far enough behind them to avoid detection, a small floating robot was observing them; an Enclave eyebot. Normally the floating ball would be spouting out the Enclave station's music or one of John Henry Eden's patriotic speeches, but this unit was strictly silent. Atop its body was a small camera, focused and honed in the group.

Watching and following.

Just a bit to the north, another group was watching the Wandering Pair very intently. The leader of this group of Talon Company mercenaries smiled. They had been tracking the group since Megaton and they were fast approaching a perfect spot for ambush. At his command, they quickly moved to get ahead of them and wait.

* * *

Up ahead of them was Jury Street Metro Station. The area had a few buildings, a burnt-out diner, a metro access tunnel and a silent radio tower. The sun was just leaving its highest peak of the afternoon and beginning its slow, slow decent down in the west.

"It's a town," Amata observed as they walked over a hill and saw it for the first time.

"Could be dangerous," Charon warned.

As Jericho looked up, he squinted and said, "Hey... I know this place."

The group stopped and looked at him. "Care to clarify?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, I been here," Jericho stepped forward a bit, scanning the area. "Used to use this place as a base when I was runnin' with the raiders."

"A base?" Lloyd asked, to which Jericho nodded. "How long ago was that?"

"Fuck, I dunno. Long time. Had a huge hidden stash here, though," he said.

"Where?" Amata asked. "We could use it, right?"

"In the metro tunnel, unless there's more raiders down there that already got to it, princess. I'm sure they'd love to meet you," he smiled at Amata, who scowled.

Lloyd silenced any further comments by stepping between them and saying, "Alright, Jericho. You had a stash. If it's still there, we'll take it."

"Sure kid, I'll show you where it is," he invited. He led them into the town.

Both Charon and Harkness were scanning the area (though in the latter's case, quite literally) in search of potential threats. Jericho started ranting about how he and his gang ran this little corner of the wasteland. As he did so, both the ghoul and the android saw and heard danger.

"Scatter!" Charon suddenly shouted, grabbing Jericho by the neck of his armor and jumping aside. Harkness tackled Lucy to the ground. Lloyd saw something in the corner of his eyes, which widened as he saw the missile flying towards them. He grabbed Amata's arm and jumped to avoid it.

The concussive force of the blast as the rocket hit the ground shook them all and knocked out some of their hearing. Smoke filled the area which was quickly blown away by the wind. Lloyd looked up with narrowed eyes as he tried to focus on the direction the missile had come from. Bright red, searing lasers were being shot at them from rifles held in the hands of Talon Company mercs.

Lloyd grunted as he got to his feet, pulling Amata up with him. She was trying to figure out what was going on, but got the idea rather quickly when a laser hit her left arm, burning its flesh and leaving behind a black mark. She shouted in pain and knew he had to find cover. Lloyd, although distracted by Amata's injury, noticed an old diner with walls that still seemed solid enough to provide them cover. Holding her hand, they quickly ran into it and ducked down. Russ barked fiercely and followed them within.

Harkness had successfully saved Lucy from harm, at least from the missile. He got off of her and quickly equipped his plasma rifle and fired at the advancing mercenary group. His shots missed by small margins as his targeting systems had been temporarily knocked out from the close proximity of the missile. Lucy heard the enemy fire and got out her pistol. She crawled on her hands and knees away from Harkness before getting up to her feet. She hid behind a burnt-up car as she tried to get her bearings straight.

Charon and Jericho both got to their feet on their own and struggled to pull out their weapons to return fire. A few laser blasts surged their way, one of them hitting Jericho in the leg. Thankfully, his metal armor was strong enough to protect him. Assault rifle in hand, he fired gleefully at the Talon mercs, having been waiting for another chance to fight them. Charon dived behind a small section of rubble and waited to sneak closer, relying on his allies to provide the distraction he would need. His shotgun would do better at close range.

The Talon mercs, ten of them in total, began to spread out. Four of them were armed with laser rifles and provided the main support as the one carrying the missile launcher reloaded. Two of them, grenadiers, started moving closer and lobbing their explosives at the scattered group, not really trying to hit them, but the grenades would serve to demoralize, distract and confuse them. The last three carried melee weapons, two with combat knives and one with a police baton. They split up and moved around, each desiring to flank them from behind.

Lloyd now had his hunting rifle in hand. The diner had plenty of open windows from which he could pop out and fire from. Amata also had her SMG out in one hand and wielded her sword in the other, though her left arm was still pained from the laser blast. Lloyd looked over at her and shouted, "Stay down and don't stick your head out!"

"Didn't plan on it!" she shouted back.

Lloyd looked out from his cover and saw one of the laser riflemen advancing down the street, a smile on his face. Lloyd aimed at him and fired, managing to hit him in the right arm, forcing him to drop his laser rifle to the ground. Simultaneously, Harkness' targeting system was restored. The android saw the man recoil in pain from Lloyd's attack. Harkness timed his blast with precision and shot a bolt of green plasma into the man's neck, searing his head from his body which immediately fell limp.

Charon ran around the back of a building and looked out from behind a corner. He saw a grenadier pull the top of a frag and prepared to throw it. The ghoul crouched and aimed at the man's leg, pulling his shotgun's trigger once he had expertly lined up his blast. The merc suddenly cried out and fell back with half of his kneecap missing. His grenade fell from his hand, landing alongside him and exploded a few seconds later, ending the man's life.

The explosion was near one of the laser rifle mercs. The man reeled from the explosion which took his comrade's life. Jericho smiled and fired at the now-stationary target, riddling the man with bullets. A knife-wielder suddenly ran at him from his hiding place. Jericho aimed at him but the merc had gotten too close. He swung his leg upwards and kicked the gun out of Jericho's hands. He swung his knife, and due to either luck or skill, Jericho avoided a deadly slice from the blade. Instead, the knife grazed his forehead, cutting the strap of his eye patch.

Jericho looked up at the man with his one good eye and, without thinking for his own personal safety, punched the man in the jaw. They fell to the ground, grappling and grunting, as one of Jericho's hands found the merc's neck and the other held the knife-arm at bay. The man used his free hand to try to punch Jericho in the face while kneeing him in the groin.

"Cup, motherfucker!" Jericho spat in the man's face before head-butting him and knocking the merc out cold.

The remaining two riflemen took cover to reload. The one armed with the missile launcher began to take aim, but suddenly noticed a new group of enemies appearing. From one of buildings and the metro access tunnel poured forth raiders, hooting and hollering and brandishing weapons. He chose to fire his newly-loaded missile at a small group, discharging it and watching as it flew through the air and impacted on the street right before their feet. Three of the raiders fell dead amidst the smoke and rubble.

Little did he know that, behind him and his allies, another three raiders had emerged from a manhole. As he smiled with murderous glee at his latest three kills, a sledgehammer was swung downward onto his head at full force, cracking it open like an egg. The two riflemen saw it happen and fired on the three, scorching and burning them with their laser rifles before they could reach their cover.

Lloyd heard the raiders screaming and hollering at the call of battle. "Shit," he thought. He pulled a grenade out and primed it, throwing it in the direction of the metro tunnel from one of the diner's windows.

"That sounds like raiders!" Amata said as he moved past her. She looked out and saw a raider coming towards the side of the diner, probably intent on firing through its window. She sprayed him with bullets from her SMG, killing him, before returning to her cover and looking over at Lloyd, who was moving throughout the diner. He looked to his left and saw a dead body on a table behind the counter he hadn't noticed before. Paying it no more heed, he quickly whipped out his .44 magnum and fired at another raider who was about to run inside, killing him with a shot to base of his neck.

Lucy fired at the raiders when she saw them coming towards her position. Harkness appeared alongside her then, firing with her. He could see two Talon mercs, one with a knife and another with a baton, battling a small number of the fierce raiders. Charon, meanwhile, was finishing off another Talon grenadier, before deciding he was getting too far away from his allies. He began to fall back, but not before noticing a raider that charged at him with a pool cue that had a knife duct-taped onto its end. Before the man could stab the tall ghoul with his makeshift spear, Charon plugged him with a single discharge of his shotgun, blasting the man's chest open.

Harkness turned around and saw Jericho approaching them, rifle in his right hand and his left hand wiping blood from his forehead. The former raider crouched alongside them. "What's the fuckin' plan now, tin man?"

Harkness scanned the battlefield quickly and saw an opportunity present itself. "We can make it to the diner and to Lloyd and Amata if we run now!" he shouted.

"Sounds fine to me!" Lucy loudly agreed, shooting some more from behind cover before reloading her pistol.

"Go!" the android shouted and they all quickly ran across the street, bullets and lasers peppering the area around them. One by one, they ducked into the diner. Lloyd had seen them coming and gave them some fire support, killing one of the raiders who took up chasing after the three with a sledgehammer.

"Welcome to paradise!" Lloyd shouted a greeting.

"I expected more palm trees!" Lucy joked, before another explosion rocked the street outside, kicking up dirt and smoke. Bullets and flashes from the laser rifles occasionally pegged the outside of the diner.

Lloyd fired some more at the multitude of enemies, as did Jericho and Harkness, before they all ducked and Lloyd shouted, "Anybody seen Charon?"

"Shitskin's somewhere!" Jericho replied. A few bullets hit the side of the diner, denting the wall near Jericho's head.

"Fuck, could this get worse?" Lloyd wondered aloud.

Just outside of town, as the battle raged between the three forces, a raider, bleeding heavily from a wound on his side, was running towards Jury Street Metro Station as fast as his legs would carry him. Frantic, manic and wild, he screamed and cried out for help. One arm held his wounded side, while another clutched a teddy bear. He shouted and shouted for help, but none came. Tears flowed profusely as the man ran into the town, amidst the fire, only to fall down to his knees and scream as loud as he could.

His shouting was drowned out by another shout, an all-too-familiar monstrous roar, one that sent chills down the spines of Lloyd, Amata and Jericho.

'You gotta be fucking kidding...' Lloyd thought.

They heard loud noises in the background of the gunfire, powerful, earth-shaking footsteps. Lloyd dared to look through one of the windows.

The super mutant behemoth charged into town and smashed the man holding the teddy bear with its weapon, a car engine welded onto the end of a street lamp. It let out a massive roar as smaller super mutants, roughly eleven of them, charged in behind it. They carried large hammers, missile launchers and rifles, and one of them, the largest (second only to the behemoth) carried a laser rifle that fired three lasers at once. They also had with them centaurs and other abominations of mutation. Their group charged into the town with reckless abandon, joining the fray.

Lloyd shrunk behind his cover. "It got worse," he whispered to no one in particular.

Super mutant, Talon merc, raider and hero clashed in a massive battle as bullets, missiles, lasers, plasma, grenades and bits of gore filled the air and painted the walls and ground. A raider was ripped in half by two super mutants. Harkness managed to kill one of the green creatures as it held up half of the man's decapitated remains. A Talon merc was taken down by two centaurs, their tentacles burrowing into his flesh as they dragged him down. Charon was caught by surprise by one of the super mutants wielding a hammer, though fortunately the ghoul was quick enough to blast the mutant in the brain with his shotgun, spraying its cerebral contents all over the back of a wall.

Through it all, the behemoth raged on and smashed raider and merc alike, taking constant fire and shrugging off every last hit as if they were bug bites. It turned and saw Lloyd and his allies in the diner and, in response, raised its weapon with the unmistakable intent to smash the diner with it. Lloyd shouted to get down as the roof dented from the impact, dust and rust falling from its ceiling. The hulking monster grabbed the sides of the diner and began to pry it apart, the metal roof splitting slowly open under the assault from its gigantic green hands.

"Run!" Harkness barked and they all scrambled to get out of the diner as the behemoth started to pry it out of its foundation in the ground. Lloyd was the last one out, and just in time, as the final support for the diner snapped and the behemoth rolled it onto its side. It roared before descending upon the diner, smashing it with its fists. It lacked the intelligence to notice that there was nobody inside anymore.

Out in the open and suddenly exposed to enemy fire, they all scrambled to find cover, scattering in multiple directions. A missile soared past Amata and hit a car ten feet behind her, blowing it up and throwing her to the ground. Lloyd looked back and tried to run to her aid but was suddenly tackled to the ground by a raider brandishing a kitchen knife that Jericho quickly shot off of Loyd before his clip ran out of ammo, forcing him to reload.

Lloyd looked back to see Amata being helped up by Lucy, who then shot and killed an approaching raider with her sawed-off shotgun. The blonde-haired woman used one arm to support Amata as they reached relative safety and cover behind a building across the street from where Lloyd and Jericho were.

Harkness found himself cornered in an alley with a hammer-wielding super mutant. It brought its hammer downwards in a powerful arc, which the android narrowly side-stepped. He punched out with his left hand, hitting the super mutant in the chin, which only served to annoy it. Harkness raised his gun to fire, but the mutant knocked it out of his hands with a surprising rise of his hammer and then swung it towards him from the right side. He calculated that the force of it could knock his head off, so he ducked and delivered three rapid punches to the super mutant's stomach while the mutant's hammer impacted the wall and got stuck in it.

The super mutant fell back a few steps, shook his head and roared, "Puny stupid meat! Me no need hammer! Me smash you!" as he raised his hands. Harkness couldn't help but smirk a little.

'Never fought a super mutant hand-to-hand before... Statistics are slightly in my favor.'

The mutant charged, but fell back as Harkness delivered a swift rising kick to his face. The android kicked the mutant's chest five times in succession, which pained the mutant but enraged it further. The mutant jumped up, clasped its hands over its head and roared, intending to bring them down on Harkness' head. The android rolled forward, underneath the super mutant, causing it to miss by a wide margin. The mutant got up and quickly turned, charging at Harkness, who, on the spot, did a splits maneuver and punched the super mutant right in its gonads, which unfortunately did nothing to harm or halt the super mutant. The android looked up at the face of his foe. 'Oh boy...'

The super mutant grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up, smashing him into the wall. Thinking fast, he swung his legs up and got them around the mutant's neck. He began to twist and pull against the strength of the mutant as it brutally smashed him against the alleyway walls again, then a third time. Harkness did not relent, however, even as both of the mutant's hands closed around his neck. He focused all of his strength into his legs as he stared the mutant down.

Finally, a loud snap could be heard as Harkness killed the mutant. It slumped to the ground, its neck limp from being broken. He quickly disentangled himself from its grasp and looked at his handiwork, impressed at even his own strength.

Until the behemoth's hand suddenly closed around his midsection and held him up. Harkness struggled and tried to break free as the behemoth held the android up to its face, regarding him with some curiosity. It squeezed him, causing the android to go limp, and then tossed the man aside like a ragdoll.

Lucy saw it happen. "Christopher..." she painfully breathed, not noticing a raider fast approaching her. Amata did, however, and suddenly leapt forward to skewer the man on her sword. The raider twitched and looked up at her with wide eyes as he fell to his knees and died. Grimly, hating every second of it, she put her boot on the man and pushed on his body as she pulled out her sword, freshly coated with blood.

She was taking a moment to compose her thoughts when a super mutant suddenly shouted, "Surprise!" and jumped in front of her. She nearly screamed, until Russ suddenly leapt up and bit at the mutant's throat, locking his jaws on it and shaking fiercely. The super mutant gurgled and fell back.

Jericho and Lloyd continued to shoot down raider, merc and mutant. As Lloyd worked to reload his rifle, the super mutant master with the tri-beam laser rifle stepped around the corner, kicking Lloyd to the ground with its large foot. The vault dweller looked up at the impressive mutant. It was larger than the others, stronger and more muscular, and its head and eyes were almost shaped like a behemoth's. It roared and knocked Jericho aside with the butt of its rifle, then aimed down at Lloyd, blasting his chest with three laser beams. Lloyd couldn't conjure up the strength to shout, so great was the blinding pain for a moment. Almost unthinking, he grabbed the ripper from his belt, turned it on and stuck it into the mutant's stomach.

It let forth a painful roar, and continued to do so as Lloyd struggled to get to his feet, pushing against the mutant backwards as forced the chainsaw-like blade further up into the mutant's chest. Gore rained down on Lloyd as he pushed further, and further, until the hilt of the weapon and his hand were completely inside the mutant's torso. Both Lloyd and the muscular mutant shouted in pain as the green monster jerked and choked, looking down at Lloyd with wide white eyes as it eventually ceased to breathe. It fell over, and Lloyd simply laid there for a moment, before forcing the still-active ripper out of the monster's chest, his arm and weapon completely coated in blood.

Jericho was there, over him now, helping him to his feet. It was hard for the young vault dweller to see much; the world was blurry and he was breathing heavily. He felt his chest. His armor was burnt, but he knew he would be alright with some Med-X and a few stimpaks, which he began to absent-mindedly administer to himself.

Charon had finished killing the last of the centaurs, blasting its mutated skull into gory fragments. He looked around. 'Talon Company mercs dead. Most raiders dead or fleeing. Super mutants dead... save for the behemoth.' He raised his shotgun and fired at the gargantuan monster's backside, drawing its attention. It roared at him and then advanced. Charon wasn't a fool, so he ran too. That is, until Russ ran up alongside him and turned to bark at the behemoth. The dog seemed to distract it, and it began to chase after Russ, its smashing and stomping attacks always just out of reach.

Jericho, Lloyd, Lucy, Amata and Charon all noticed this and began to shoot at the behemoth. They fired and fired and fired, riddling its side with bleeding holes. The monster seemed impervious, or perhaps just oblivious, to the pain as it single-mindedly chased the canine throughout the small area. Much to everyone's amazement, especially Lucy's, Harkness reappeared, plasma rifle in hand, to help take down the behemoth. It took a few minutes, but finally, the monster could take no more. It fell to the ground, and a few closing shots put it down for good, its last breath leaving its mouth in a single, long, dull sound.

Russ, tired and panting, slowly walked up to Lloyd to lay at his feet. As he knelt down to pet the exceptionally good dog, the others closed in around them. Lloyd looked up at them, managing a weak, weary smile. "I think that's enough excitement for today, don't you think?"

Jericho looked around. "Holy shit, kid... we just slaughtered half an army's worth of people."

"We didn't do all the work," Lucy pointed out. "I mean, half of them killed each other." She looked over at Harkness, trying to see any injuries on him. She didn't note any, other than some cuts and scrapes and dirt.

"A good fight," Charon said, reloading and then holstering his shotgun.

"One I don't want to repeat any time soon," Amata said as she sat down next to Lloyd. She noted the hole in his armor. "Lloyd, we should probably get that off of you, before it fuses to your chest or something."

"Here," he said, handing her a stimpak. "For your arm. We'll need to clean it but that'll start the job of healing it." She took it and injected her arm with it, stoically ignoring the pain from its needle point. Lloyd looked at the assembled party. "Alright, everybody... Hell, I don't know," he laughed, taking off his helmet and dropping it. He wore a wide smile on his face. "Just spread out, check for survivors, loot the bodies, throw a party, I don't care. Let's just get our bearings straight and get the hell out of here."

Harkness surveyed the area, and the corpses. "That might take an hour or two," he noted.

"You know, that's surprisingly fine with me. I think we could use an hour-long break, don't you guys?" Lloyd shrugged. He looked up at Jericho. "Hey Jericho, see about that stash of yours, eh? I hope to god it was worth this."

They set out to do their work, while Lloyd began to remove his chest armor to patch up the hole. Amata stayed to help him. After taking it off, he looked at the corpse of the behemoth. "Jesus, I'd have been happy to not see one of those things again. That's like, what, the third one we've killed?" he joked with her.

"I think the second one doesn't count," she said.

"Have we had this conversation before?" he wondered aloud.

She smiled. "Maybe."

* * *

Jury Street Metro Station turned out to be full of small treasures, and not just the ones to be found on the dead bodies of the recently slain, although they, too, provided plenty of bounty.

One of the buildings was an electrical store that had served as a raider hideout, stocked with food and ammo. A nearby grocery store had been cleared of most of its more useful items, but there was still some food left. The super mutants, raiders and mercs all had some ammo or useful weapons they could collect, as well as a few grenades and unused landmines. Harkness was particularly interested in collecting the various energy-based weapons from their fallen enemies, specifically the Talon Company mercs' laser rifles and the super mutant master's tri-beam laser rifle. Once he had collected all of these, he approached Lloyd and asked him for his own laser rifle, saying that he was going to modify the guns. He also asked for any of their laser pistols, of which they had a small number.

The behemoth's body was littered with items attached to its belt, including a large amount of caps and ammunition. "Seems like they use behemoths for carrying things," Lloyd observed.

Amata closed her eyes and looked away in disgust when she noticed two severed human heads on the behemoth's belt. "I'll say..." she muttered.

Jericho emerged from the metro access tunnel. "Stash is still there! Dumbass kids who took the place over never found it." He pointed at his head while saying, "Smarts, kid, fuckin' brains I tell ya. I got 'em."

Lloyd noticed the scar on Jericho's forehead had stopped bleeding. He had only seen the raider without his eye patch once before, back in Grayditch, and was still slightly surprised to learn that his left eye was blind, faded and nearly-colorless.

"Alright," Lloyd said. "What's down there?"

Jericho lit up a cigarette. "Had a couple'a weapons and raider gear stashed in there. Armor 'n shit. Gotta workbench too, and plenty'a booze."

"Good," Lloyd said. "There's plenty of dead talon mercs around. I can use their armor to fix mine, plus plenty of extra material from the raider armor. I always thought our armor could have a few spikes, what do you think?" he asked as he looked over at Amata.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Spikes? Raiders wear them because they think it's scary. Why would we?"

"Oh, because they're totally cool," Lloyd said sarcastically.

"No spikes for me. Just fix the hole in your chest, okay?" she laughed. She noted that Lloyd's chest was healing quite quickly, characteristic of his strange healing factor.

Lucy approached the two of them. "Hey, guys, I was thinking... maybe we should set up camp here. At the end of the street over there," she pointed, "I found a manhole that leads to a small fallout shelter. We could hold up there and nobody would know."

Lloyd scratched his head. "A fallout shelter? That'd provide good cover for the night, alright. But we've still got plenty of light ahead of us, I mean, it's only one o'clock."

Amata put her hand on his. "It's not a bad idea, Lloyd. We could use a food and water break anyway. Plus, you'll need time to fix your armor and Harkness needs time to do... whatever he's doing. Besides, you've still got some Med-X in your system. It's not good to move too much with it active, you know that."

"On that note, guys," Lucy said, looking around nervously, then leaning in close and speaking in a hushed tone, "Did you see how Christopher got tossed by that behemoth? How can he be walking around just fine from that?"

Lloyd and Amata shared a glance. His expression was unsure, while hers was concerned. They didn't know the situation very well, but it was obvious Harkness hadn't told her the truth behind his secret yet. Amata looked as though she might tell, but Lloyd ever-so-subtly shook his head.

Lucy looked at them. "Guys?" she interrupted.

"I think he's just tough," Lloyd said. "Harkness... Christopher... is a mean son-of-a-bitch, even if he doesn't look it."

Lucy thought about it some more, seemed to accept their answer and walked away. Lloyd wiped his forehead. 'Dodged a bullet, I think...' Lloyd ran his hand through his hair and looked to the west, finding Charon standing there, also facing the west. He seemed to be staring out at something. 'Wonder what he's thinking about...'

Charon stood, silent and statuesque.

Turning away, Lloyd raised his voice and said, "Alright! I guess we're hunkering down here for the night. Let's get to work!" His stomach growled a little bit. "Damn, they're right, I am hungry." He looked at Amata. "We got any squirrel stew? I'm starting to love that stuff."

Amata took off her pack and looked through it. She shook her head. "Some noodles. We could heat up some water," she offered.

"That'll be fine," he said, taking the small box from her hands. "We'll get some lunch going, come on."

Russ was sitting not too far away, and a single whine drew their attention. Amata smiled and took out some iguana bits and fed them to the canine, scratching his ears and saying, "Good boy, Russ, good boy."

* * *

Harkness finally descended into the manhole, closing it over his head. It had a valve to lock it into place. He walked down a small tunnel, hearing conversation up ahead. Moving through a door and down a staircase, he found the group waiting in a small room, sitting around a lamp attached to an external battery. "Work's done," the android told them. He pulled out a slightly different-looking laser rifle.

"Whaddaya got?" Lloyd asked.

"I took apart the laser rifles and pistols, taking the best parts from each, and fashioned a new refractive crystal array through which the beam travels, readjusted and tightened the focusing modulators, cleaned out the interior matrices that generate the actual beam, reinforced the stock, cleaned up the whole thing to help avoid future jams and straightened the sights."

"Did you give it a fresh pine scent while you were at it?" Lloyd joked.

"Didn't have the materials with which to do so," he replied with a smirk.

Lloyd chuckled. "Alright, so you made it work better. Does it do anything else?"

"It fires nine lasers at once with adjustable spread, with the knob here," he indicted a small blue knob on the rifle's side, "ensuring complete combat adaptability and maximum control regarding situational versatility while simultaneously dealing maximum damage without unit reaching dangerous levels of heating which would lead to critically overloading." He tossed the rifle to Lloyd, who fumbled, but caught it. "Take it."

He looked at the weapon in his hands. "Nine lasers?" he said, almost dumbstruck.

The android nodded. "Nine. Used the parts of all the rifles and pistols to make the refractive array. Enjoy it."

"I don't know what to say, Harkness, other than thank you," Lloyd replied.

"That's all that's necessary," Harkness assured him. He went and sat next to Lucy.

Amata checked her Pip-Boy. "Seven o'clock. Who gets first watch?"

"I will," Charon said, leaving no room for argument. He got up and left the room without a second word and before anyone could contest him. They heard the manhole close.

"Something seems off about him today," Lloyd said in a low tone. "Anybody have any guesses?"

Nobody had a very good idea, which troubled Lloyd. Charon had always been a bit of an oddity, quiet and pragmatic, but now...

"I'll take next watch," Lucy offered. The others agreed.

Lloyd thought it was probably best not to get involved. He decided to dismiss it, believing Charon was smart enough to make his own choices. They settled in for sleep.

* * *

Lucy opened the manhole and climbed out, dusting herself off. She looked around, eventually finding Charon. She walked up to him.

"I'm your relief," she told him. "You can head down."

He was facing the west. "You are my relief," is all he said, before standing up and walking to the west.

"Uh, Charon?" Lucy asked, walking up to him. "Charon? Where are you going?"

"Tell the others not to follow me."

"What? Hey! Where are you going?"

"Evergreen Mills. Stay here with the others."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "What! Charon! What, what, what are you thinking?"

"Stand your post, don't follow me, and tell the others not to come after me."

"Charon?" she nearly shouted, and then she did, twice. "Charon! Charon!"

He did not turn.

She ran back to the manhole and tried to get it open. It wouldn't budge. 'Oh, shit! I must've accidentally locked it behind me! Fuck, fuck, come on!' She pulled and pulled and tried to find different ways to open it, but to no avail. Feeling defeated and helpless, she didn't know what else to do other than wait until someone inside came out.

* * *

Two hours later, it opened and Harkness emerged. She ran up to him. "Oh, Christopher, thank god! Charon's gone!"

"What? When? How?"

"Two hours ago, I came to assume his post, and he left, saying that he was going to Evergreen Mills, and that we shouldn't follow him. I tried to get in to tell the others, but I couldn't. The manhole was locked!"

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down. We'll get the others."

"It was locked!" she continued. "I waited for someone to come out. How did you guys not notice Charon not coming down?"

"I don't know. I guess we just didn't," he said. 'How the hell did I not notice it? Did I just assume he would stay out with her?' Running back through his memory banks, he realized he simply hadn't taken notice of it. In hindsight it seemed obvious. He was utterly perplexed that he was capable of missing such a detail simply because he hadn't been paying it attention.

They went down and roused the others, explaining the situation to them. Lloyd, after hearing it, shook his head. "Damn... I shouldn't have set a watch. I didn't know the damn manhole would lock…"

"Nobody could have foreseen any of this, Lloyd," Amata pointed out. "Especially Charon walking away."

Lloyd said nothing as he continued to digest the information.

"He's dead," Jericho suddenly said. They all looked at him. "He's fuckin' dead."

They were all silent for a moment.

Then, Lloyd stood up with sudden determination. "He's not dead. We're going after him."

"What? Lloyd?" Amata said with her mouth slightly agape.

Jericho laughed. "Kid, maybe you've had too much fuckin' wax in your ears this whole time, but lemme break it down for you in terms you'd understand: nobody just _walks_ into Evergreen Mills."

Lloyd's brain was racing. "Not looking like a raider, they don't."

Jericho paused. "...What?"

"There's enough raider armor on the dead bodies out there and in your stash to more than effectively disguise every single one of us. Masks to hide our faces, weapons for us wield in order to look the part. We go in, we find Charon and we get the hell out."

"Woah, woah, woah," Amata stood up and protested, "Lloyd, aren't we thinking a little fast here?"

"Every second we waste is one which could kill Charon. If he's already dead, then we'll know when we see him. If he's alive, I want answers. We are _not_ going to abandon him, no matter what he says."

"Kid, you're goin' to march right into the fuckin' hellmouth of raiders, you get that, don't you?" Jericho said as he also stood up.

Lloyd looked over at the man. "Scared, Jericho?"

The grizzled raider's eyes narrowed. "Fuck did you say?"

"We're going to Evergreen Mills, Jericho. Thought you'd jump on the chance to lead us with your knowledge and experience with raiders, because that's what I want. You lead us in, you lead us out. Remember, Jericho? You're the guide. I hired you, but if you're too goddamned chicken to do your job..." he let the end of the sentence hang in the air.

'What the hell is Lloyd thinking?' is what ran through Amata's mind, and similar thoughts were on the minds of Lucy and Harkness.

Jericho grabbed Lloyd by the collar of his armor. He was steaming angry. "Kid... if you were any other fuckin' guy I'd kill you right now." He let go. "Alright. We do this? We do it my way, got it? You fuckin' listen to me and you'll get out alive."

Lloyd nodded and looked at the other three. "I won't order any of you to go," he told them.

"I'm with you," Harkness volunteered. After a moment, Lucy stood up.

"Me too."

Lloyd looked at Amata. "Amata? You could stay here with Russ."

She looked at him, seeing the fire in his eyes and hearing the passion in his voice when he spoke of saving his friend. "He's coming too, and so am I. You'd die without us."

Lloyd smiled. "Alright. Jericho? Lead on."

The former raider smirked. "Well, all-fuckin'-right."

* * *

Jericho oversaw their "transformation" into raiders. Each wore different armor, even Russ. They each wore a different form of raider headgear, both to mask their identity and make them less inconspicuous. Amata couldn't say she much enjoyed her raider armor. She felt too exposed; too much skin showed. Her "psycho-tick" helmet didn't help much either, it made her feel silly. 'Why the hell do raiders wear this crap?' she thought. She was the one holding onto Russ' newest leash, and the dog himself had been adorned in raider-like spikes and leather.

Finally, they were all ready and fully disguised. In addition to leaving behind their normal weapons and armor, they carried some items like drugs and alcohol. "Not bad," Jericho observed the group. "Alright, let's go. Listen the fuck up as we walk, I'm not too big on repeatin' things."

They headed west. Jericho spoke to them, giving them explicit orders. "First, don't fuckin' talk to anybody. No questions, no sayin' hi, fuckin' nothing, got it? Especially don't ask anybody about any ghouls. Raiders can sniff rats, ya know, but only if they're big and fuckin' obvious. Second, if you're questioned, give them some drugs or a drink. Should shut'em up. Third, nobody goes anywhere alone. Two to a minimum, nobody gets split up. Now, if we find Shitskin—"

"Charon," Lloyd interrupted and corrected.

"Fuckin' whatever. If we find him, we meet up and figure out a plan to get him out. If he's dead, we get out." He dropped his cigarette and looked up at the sky. "It's getting dark soon. Good cover, not a lotta raiders'll be looking at our faces anyway so we should be fine."

Up ahead, they could see a gradual opening that led into a large canyon. They could see fires and hear drums in the distance. "And finally?" Jericho said, "Be fuckin' cool. Raiders only respect strength."

They followed the railroad tracks into the massive crevice that led to Evergreen Mills. Passing by dead trains, they could see walkways above them. Raiders patrolled them, looking down at them, but made no hostile move. Finally, they saw the place for their own eyes as they entered it and began moving amongst the raiders, hiding in plain sight.

Evergreen Mills was once a foundry and that foundry still stood. However, a veritable shanty town had been built around it, along with large cages containing slaves and a massive holding pen containing, much to the entire group's dismay, yet another super mutant behemoth, though this one was stripped of weapons and armor. It roared as it touched the edge of its cage, receiving a powerful shock. An electric current ran through the gate. The charred, black skeleton of a man holding onto the cage was evidence enough of what happens to those who get too close to it.

They stuck together as they moved throughout the community, observing the raiders around them. Gambling, drinking, shooting guns for no reason, killing people on the spot and hanging them on chains... The entire place was a monument to all traditions raider held sacred, and its inhabitants indulged themselves every minute in every way they could, consuming intoxicants, shouting expletives as complements, partaking in lewd pleasures of the flesh and reveling in the mistreatment of the dead. Occasionally, there was a fight that ended in one killing another. Small gangs of raiders tended to stick to themselves, where others would meander about.

Lloyd had never imagined a place like this could exist, where the very absence of law was the definition of law. Each man makes his own rules, and is free to kill anyone he sees fit, and the consequences of it are purely his own. There were no friends here, no true allies, only shared sin and barbaric practices that loosely held together the community and stopped everyone from killing each other. He observed two raiders fighting each other over a skimpily-dressed woman, one eventually stabbing the other and grabbing the woman who seemed more than pleased to go with the stronger winner.

Everything about this place disgusted and offended Amata. It smelled bad, it looked bad, and the bodies that hung alongside bags of gore were displayed for all to see. This place was the epitome of man's madness, but not necessarily insanity. It was a true hive of scum and villainy, with a warped and almost non-existent code of honor that amounted to, "Don't fuck with the strong, kill the weak and rape the weak women before you kill them." She wished she hadn't come along, but had to trust that they'd make it out okay with Jericho and Lloyd leading them. Evergreen Mills was a nightmare on its own level and was the last place she'd ever want to come again.

When it came to entertainment, they were endlessly amused by violence and there was certainly no shortage of it around. The raiders had animals and people they'd force to fight each other in enclosed spaces. Slaves, young raiders, children, it didn't really matter. Some of them beat on drums, others played the radio. Thick smoke pervaded the area from large fires where they burnt live animals and sometimes people for either food or fun.

Raiders also cared about trophies and branding their property; from homes to guns to slaves. Skulls sat impaled on spikes with combat knives sticking out of them. Necklaces of teeth or human fingers or ears were common. Shacks were lined with rifles that hung on string or bushels of stockpiles grenades and explosives. Scavenged computers, tires and all manner of garbage decorated their homes. Ritualistic, tribal-style tattooing was also a common sight. They passed a small shack were a gruff-looking dwarf of a man nearly violently inscribed the ink upon a young raider who had just earned the right to wear a gang's tattoos on his face. Jericho explained that if he cried, they were going to beat him and throw him into a pit full of broken bottles and ignore him until he climbed out.

Jericho had been here before, long ago. It hadn't largely changed and he quickly picked up on the new details. The Top Dog, the raider of raiders who led them was a ruthless, blood-thirsty youth by the name of Jarrod. Jarrod lived in the higher levels of the foundry in his own room, surrounded by a harem of dirty women and lived like a king, like every other raider boss before him. They tended to come and go, with whoever kills him becoming the new boss. The politics of raiders were simple and reflected their overall nature: based on instinct and impression. You kill the Top Dog, you're the Top Dog. Simple as that. Anyone who fails, dies and is forgotten.

Jericho turned around to face them. It was hard to hear him through his arc-welding mask, but his words were clear enough to them. "I don't see the ghoul in the cages anywhere. He's in the foundry."

"You think?" Lloyd asked. He was wearing a hockey mask that effectively disguised most of his features.

The old raider nodded. "There's a jail down in the deepest levels of this place, the bazaar. It's the market for raiders, plus its largest whorehouse."

"Lovely," Amata said, reviled.

Jericho shook his head, saying, "It shouldn't be too hard to get down there. If he's alive, getting him out'll be fuckin' near impossible. It's hard to hide ghouls."

"We make sure he's alive before we do anything else," Lloyd ordered.

"Alright, kid. Let's go." Jericho led them to the foundry. They passed by a large generator that hummed with power. It supplied the electrical force that kept the behemoth locked up in his cage. Lloyd quickly theorized that if it were to be damaged, it could release the monster. But there wasn't time for it now as Jericho took them into the dark foundry and led them to a makeshift tunnel which led down into the bazaar.

The bazaar, even more so than the exterior of the community of Evergreen Mills, was revolting to conceive, much less experience. The place smelt of beer, drugs and sex. A bar served food while a large brothel area served customers, some right out in the open. The bazaar was lit with neon lights and had decorations hanging from the ceiling: large dice, corpses on hooks, lights that resembled people fornicating. In one corner, drums were beat, their deep melody echoing throughout the cave like the roar of an ancient civilization lost to war and succumbing to pure instinct and base cravings of debauchery. It was a dark pit of unbridled lust with wrath boiling beneath the surface, fear swallowed up by alcohol and accompanied by complete, utter disparity; all of it a monument to mankind's worst achievements in brutality and horror.

They walked through this place, passing by raiders drunk, high or dead from too much drug use. Those who were discovered as being dead were cast aside by raiders who ran the bar into a dark hole from which a rotting smell emerged. "The jail's in the back of the brothel," Jericho told Lloyd. "We need to get in there, but we can't just walk in as a group. One of us'll have to go."

"I will," Lloyd said without a second thought. Amata grabbed his arm.

"Lloyd, this is getting crazy. We need to stick together, splitting up is dangerous," she warned him.

"You guys won't be too far away. Just stay on the outskirts of the brothel and come get me if I get into trouble." He looked up at the brothel area which was accessed by a wooden ramp. It had many chairs around a stage on which women danced around polls and rubbed up against each other. When one woman tackled another to the ground and forcibly sexually ravished her, the crowd of raiders in the seats and gathered around the stages cheered and threw caps. 'This isn't going to be easy...' Lloyd thought, a knot forming in his stomach. 'Just stay focused.'

Amata and the others watched as Lloyd went to join the group of raiders. He could see a doorway in the nearby cave wall that had to lead to the rest of the brothel and the jail. As Lloyd integrated himself into the crowd, Amata hoped he'd be alright. One small mistake could lead to them all being discovered. Jericho bid the rest of them to group up near the wall and act natural.

Lloyd found himself a seat when one raider stood up. He watched as the women danced and posed for the prying eyes of the men, openly flaunting their stuff for drooling mouths and thrown caps. There was no subtlety, no innuendo, only primal lust and need personified and performed for perverts.

Lloyd felt a hand on his shoulder, a delicate, sharply-nailed hand that traced fingers around his bare shoulders and neck. A woman, with bright pink hair, suddenly leapt into his lap and started writhing and grinding against him. Behind his mask, his eyes widened as this girl, her head adorned with a bright pink mohawk, tattoos and piercings in various places on her body, danced over him.

Amata saw it and dared to step forward with the intent on stopping it, but Jericho grabbed her arm and stopped her, shaking his head.

The woman rubbed her hands over Lloyd's chest, settling on his neck as she leaned down and whispered into his ear, "Two hundred baby, and I'm all yours..." She accented her point by licking his ear and reaching down to gently grab his crotch.

'Jesus Christ.' He struggled to not throw her off of him, not to make a scene, not to appear repulsed by this kind of woman. For some reason, he remembered the first time he met Mr. Burke, back in Megaton, and how he pretended to be on the man's side to eventually expose him. Of course, he had Amata for that... 'That's it!' he thought.

He grabbed onto her waist and said, putting on his best tough, raider voice, "I got a friend who can join us... how much for her to come along?"

The pink-haired whore smiled widely and got a mischievous look in her eyes. "Three hundred caps, baby, and the three of us can rut all… night… long!"

Lloyd looked over at his group and signaled to Amata, beckoning her over. The girl seemed unsure of herself until Jericho whispered something into her ear. "Stop lookin' so fuckin' nervous. Just follow the kid's lead, he's onto somethin'."

After giving Jericho the leash for Russ, Amata approached Lloyd and knelt down. He smiled up at her. "Hey Mattie, baby, three hundred caps and we can go somewhere a little more private with Pinkie, here," he told her in the same voice, throwing a wink in after he finished.

Amata took a short moment before it clicked. "Oh... well..." she knew it was now or never and the slightest wrong thing said could mean their death. She smiled and looked at "Pinkie" and smiled before saying, "Sounds goddamn good to me."

Even Lloyd was surprised by how quickly she assumed the role. The pink-haired woman got off of Lloyd's lap and led them towards the door, beckoning with her finger.

Harkness, Jericho and Lucy watched them go. "They can't do this alone, can they?" Lucy asked.

"Nah, probly not. Go pay for a room at the door and go back there yourselves," Jericho told them.

"What about you, Jericho?" Harkness asked.

"I know how to fuckin' handle myself. Just go do it and make sure the kid doesn't fuckin' die, alright?" The raider waited until they left, heading towards the doorway Lloyd and Amata had followed the woman through, before walking to the bar to order a drink. "Come on, ya damn mutt," he said as he pulled on Russ' leash.

"Pinkie" led them through the brothel to the rooms, closing the door behind them. Just as she turned around and was about to ask for the caps, Lloyd grabbed an empty bottle of beer and brought it down on her head. She fell to the ground.

Amata was surprised, but didn't say anything. "We need to tie her up, in case she wakes up," he said, looking for rope or a suitable substitute. As he did so, Amata drew her sword and deftly slit the woman's throat. When he turned around and saw her wiping the blood from the blade on the woman's clothing, he said, "...Holy shit." He looked at her with quizzical eyes.

"Just another raider," she said, rather coldly. "Help me hide the body."

Lloyd dumbly nodded and helped her move the corpse under the bed. "Are you alright, Amata?" he asked.

"I want out of this place as soon as possible. I didn't want to risk her screaming for help."

He seemed to accept her answer, though her attitude still caused him some concern. 'Guess it's just this place... it can change you quick.' After hiding the body, he said, "Alright, uh... nobody saw us come in here, so we can leave and explore the back area and find the jail cells. Let's go."

As they exited the room and retraced their steps, they were startled when they nearly ran into Harkness and Lucy. "Oh, good, it's you two," Lloyd said, chuckling slightly. "Where's Jericho?"

"He insisted we go on without him. I think we can trust his judgment."

"Unless he's going to sell us all out," Amata pointed out.

"We have to trust that he wouldn't do that," Lloyd calmed her down. "Let's find Charon."

* * *

Jericho calmly drank his beer, occasionally looking back at the doorway near the stage area, waiting for any of his allies. As he set the bottle back onto the table, a mask was thrown over his head and Russ was suddenly muzzled and picked up. Jericho struggled, but he could smell drugs inside the mask, already fast at work in knocking him out. Russ was soon comatose as well.

* * *

They snuck through hallways and corridors, always checking around corners to see if anyone was there. Fortunately, they ran into no trouble nor any wandering guards as they found the jail cells. Lloyd and Amata entered first, then Harkness, then Lucy.

There were a few cells of rusty bars and wire frame beds, with broken toilets. The place smelled awful, due to one of the cells having a skeleton inside of it. As they moved into the room, Lloyd looked into one of the cells. "Charon!" he said in a loud whisper.

The ghoul looked up at Lloyd with an unhappy, or perhaps disappointed, face. "I told you not to follow me."

"Get the fuck down!" a voice suddenly shouted. They all turned around to see a nearly-toothless raider holding a gun to Lucy's head and holding her mouth shut with the other. Behind him stood two other guards armed with assault rifles. "Get the fuck down!" the man repeated.

'Fucking hell...' Lloyd thought.

Harkness' eyes narrowed. His scans told him that he could defeat the three raiders, but not without Lucy's life being lost.

"Drop your fucking weapons and get into the cell with the ghoul. I said fucking drop them!" he shouted when they did nothing. "I'll kill this bitch. I will. Fucking drop the guns."

Lloyd sighed. "Do it," he ordered as he took out his weapons and dropped them.

They felt defeated, but one thing ran out in their minds: why didn't the raiders just kill them? The two accompanying the one holding Lucy first took her weapons, then theirs, before forcing them into the cell at gunpoint. Once they had thrown Lucy in, they closed it behind them.

"Well, great," Amata sighed. "Now what?"

"I'm sorry you got into this," Charon said. "But I commend your disguises."

"Why'd you come here?" Lloyd asked him. "How could you just walk away and not expect us to follow you?"

They all looked at the ghoul as he answered, "Every time Evergreen Mills was brought up, you made it clear we were to avoid it. I couldn't."

"Why?" Lucy asked.

"I can't answer that right now."

"Like hell you can't," Lloyd said, his brow furrowing. "You should have known we'd come after you."

"I suppose I should have, though I hoped you wouldn't."

"Why didn't you just tell us you were going to come here?" Amata asked.

"If I did, in all likelihood you'd have come with me."

Lloyd sighed. "Look, Charon... just tell us why, okay? If we're going to die, just make it worth it."

Charon shook his head. "I heard the guards talking. Some raider named Jarrod has plans for us."

"Wonderful," Harkness said.

Lloyd leaned forward. "Don't change the subject, Charon. Why'd you come here? It can't possibly just be because of the raiders."

The tall ghoul looked at them all and said, "I'm sorry."

* * *

Jericho slowly woke up as water was poured on his head. "Wake the fuck up already," he heard. "I ain't got all goddamn day."

His vision slowly adjusted. He was in a dark room, duct-taped to a chair. His mask was gone. He was in front of a desk, and behind that desk sat a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, with dark skin and shaggy hair. The man wore raider armor, but not haphazardly made. It looked functional, protective and strong.

"Who the fuck're you?" Jericho muttered. "The hell'd you take me for? Where's my goddamn dog?"

"Drop the act, Jericho. The dog's in a cage, like your friends, the fuckin' Wanderin' Pair. You guys almost fuckin' slipped underneath our radar, you know? But my boys, they can sniff things on people. Must be hard to wash off that vault smell."

"Who... the fuck... are you supposed to be anyway, kid?" Jericho replied, his eyes fierce and angered.

The young raider smiled. "I'm Jarrod, you backwards fuck. You wanna catch up sometime soon so we can get our business settled?"

"What fuckin' business? I ain't never fuckin' seen you in my life."

Jarrod's smile faded. "Oh yeah, you fuckin' have, all right. But I was just a kid at the time."

Jericho thought for a moment. He studied Jarrod's face, intently, and to his horror, he started seeing similarities with his own. "Get the fuck outta here..." he breathed as it dawned on him.

Jarrod's smile was so wide it almost reached his ears. "Real fuckin' nice to see you again, pops."

Jericho's mind raced. Never had he imagined he'd see the bastard child he'd once fathered again. The kid was grown up and Top Dog? "Get the fuck outta here," he repeated himself.

Jarrod laughed. "Oh yeah, it's me. And I been waitin' for this day for a long, long fuckin' time."

"I thought your name was Joey or some shit," Jericho said.

"My fuckin' name was Joseph you goddamned retard," Jarrod spat at his father. "I'm not surprised you can't even fuckin' remember that."

Jericho shook his head. This was surreal. "So what the fuck do you want, eh? The hell'd you tie me up for?"

"Plenty'a fuckin' reasons. Want a few?"

"Enlighten me," Jericho said sarcastically.

"You're travellin' with pussies, for one. You're weak, old man. Two, you were stupid enough to walk right in here and get caught. Three?" Jarrod stood up and leaned over the desk, getting near Jericho's face. "You deserve to die for what you did to me."

Jericho blinked a few times. "Say what?"

"Ya know, when I was a kid, I had a book, right? Mom taught me how to read. Book told me I was special, that I could grow up to be whatever I wanted, that I could become a fuckin' astronaut and walk on the goddamned moon. Then you left town, and mom had to become a whore to support me. She always put me to bed, but I never slept. I could hear them in the other room, fuckin' like animals. Then one day, a client wanted her to do somethin' weird. She wouldn't do it. He killed her."

Jericho sat silent as Jarrod continued, "I ran away and took the book with me. I realized that everything in that book was a lie, every goddamned word of every goddamned page. So I burnt it up, pissed on the ashes and left Joseph behind. And I vowed, I fuckin' vowed that one day I'd catch up to you and find you. So I follow in your footsteps, become a raider, right? Turns out?" he laughed and said, "Turns out I'm really fuckin' good at it. So now here I am, Top Dog, and one day I hear on the radio that Jericho, the great and fuckin' mighty Jericho, is following two vault shitheads around the wastes."

Jarrod laughed as he pulled out a knife. "You know, I sent raiders out to find you guys, but as it turns out, I didn't even fuckin' need to. You fell right into my lap. The price for my revenge turned out to be cheaper than a whore who loves her work and doesn't charge."

"You been plannin' this speech long?" Jericho asked. "Because I'm runnin' outta interest."

"Then let me get to the point," Jarrod said, holding up the knife.

"Point, ha-ha, real fuckin' hilarious."

"S'gonna be when I take out your other goddamned eye," Jarrod threatened.

"So fuckin' do it already!" Jericho challenged before spitting in Jarrod's face.

* * *

As they sat in awkward silence in the cell, a man approached them. A raider with a loose cigarette hanging from his lips. Charon saw the keys hanging from his belt, but he was well out of reach.

"Well, well, well... ya know, if it weren't for Jarrod, you fucks'd be roasting over a barrel fire. And you bitches... Mmmm..." he lewdly licked his lips. "You'd be gettin' all sorts of attention from the men 'round here."

"Fuck off," Lloyd said.

"High and mighty Freeman tellin' me to fuck off from inside of a cell with a death warrant hangin' over his head? Hah! Wait until Jarrod reveals his plans for you." He leaned a little closer. "You know, I had a brother you killed. Back in Springvale. Yeah, so fuck you, Freeman, and your friends. You're all gonna die here. All'a you!"

Their eyes narrowed, and Charon measured in his head how close the man was. If he was just a few inches closer...

* * *

Nighttime in the Capital Wasteland; a cool breeze blowing on the wind. Evergreen Mills was well-lit, providing the necessary illumination for his target. The man stood on the edge of the canyon, looking down upon the raider town. Taking his scoped .44 magnum out of his trench coat's pocket, he lined up his shot, looking through its scope and fired one single bullet. It hit its mark and a few seconds later the generator he aimed as was destroyed, going up in a small puff of smoke and sire.

With the electricity to the behemoth's cage cut and the distraction set, the mysterious stranger faded back into the night.

* * *

"Jarrod! Jarrod!" A man burst into Jarrod's room. "The behemoth is loose!"

"What?" Jarrod said, planting the knife in the desk with its blade. "Goddamnit!" He looked down at Jericho. "Don't go anywhere," he said, chuckling a little. He went to grab his rifle and set out from the room.

Jericho watched him go before looking forward and focusing on the knife. He smiled before leaning forward, rocking the chair slightly, concentrating until he got a decent grip on the handle with his teeth. 'Time to fuckin' blow this popsicle stand.'

* * *

The commotion swept through the bazaar then, frantic shouts and cries. The man outside of their cages turned around as a few people can past the hallway, stepping right into Charon's prepared zone of reach. The ghoul didn't waste a second as he leapt up and grabbed the man's arm, pulling it behind him as he wrapped his own free arm around the man's throat, locking it in place and choking the man. "The key!" he shouted.

Harkness reacted quickly and grabbed the key from the man's belt, ripping it off. He tossed it to Lloyd, who reached through the bars and unlocked the cell. Charon finished the raider off and dropped him as they all fled the cell. "I know where they put our weapons. Follow me!" Charon shouted. Deciding not to ask questions, they quickly did as he said and followed.

Charon ran into a raider, but before the human could react, the ghoul had already grabbed a knife from the raider's belt and stuck it into his neck. The group marveled at his quick work of the man, lying on the ground and bleeding to death. "There is no time to waste!" Charon shouted.

They had never seen Charon quite like this. Lloyd swore that he'd find out the truth of this situation once they had escaped.

He led them to the room with their weapons, plus a few more the raiders had stashed there. Amata thought it was strange how Charon knew exactly where to go, but put the thought aside as they quickly re-armed themselves.

* * *

Jarrod stormed back into his room, having forgotten the key to the closet that contained a Fat Man mini-nuke launcher. He was about to search for it before he saw that Jericho was missing.

"Oh, fuck!" he shouted, right before the old raider tackled him to the ground. His gun fell out of his hands.

"Let's fuckin' go, kid! Let's fuckin' go!" Jericho cried, punching his son in the face. Jarrod brought his leg up and kicked Jericho off of him then quickly got to his feet.

Jericho slugged the younger raider in the face as he turned around and then kicked him in the chest. Jarrod caught his father's next punch and head-butted his forehead, which served only to annoy both of them. Jarrod tried to twist his father's fist, but Jericho grabbed his opponent by the belt and grunted as he rolled backwards, planting his boot in the center of Jarrod's chest and using the momentum to throw his son behind him. The kid collided with a dresser, breaking it open.

In a moment both were back on their feet. Jericho pulled out the combat knife, and Jarrod did the same with a different blade he had strapped to his thigh.

"I'm gonna slit your fuckin' throat," Jarrod said, spitting out a small amount of blood.

"You're outta your league, kid," Jericho goaded him on.

Jarrod shouted in fury and advanced, swinging the knife low. Jericho stepped back, avoiding it, darting in with his own jabs. Jericho considered himself a damn fine knife fighter, but his son was also an inspired knife fighter and they quickly settled into a routine of dodging and striking. Jarrod suddenly stepped back and kicked upwards, hitting his father's hand and knocking the knife from it.

Confident that he would win, he charged in, not expecting Jericho to sidestep the knife, turn and slam his elbow into the youth's head, knocking him down. Jericho then kicked the knife out of his hand and grabbed him by the neck and forced him up. He dragged the boy over to his desk with Jarrod struggling against his grasp every step of the way, inadvertently kicking aside the chair Jericho had previously been tied to. Jericho smashed the boy's head onto the surface of the desk a few times until Jarrod pushed the desk away with his hands, off-balancing Jericho when he went to hit the table again with Jarrod's head. His son took advantage of the momentary confusion and got out of the head hold, punching upwards and striking his father's jaw.

Jarrod attacked Jericho with unbridled anger, punching his father again and again. Some missed, some Jericho blocked, but most of them he took. He managed to get in a few punches of his own as they traveled around the room. Jarrod prepared one particularly devastating punch, which he planned to deliver to Jericho's disoriented-looking face, but the dynamic blow missed as Jericho immediately recovered and moved to the left, dodging the punch and making the kid hit the wall with his bare knuckles, which now started to bleed.

Jarrod grasped his hand and shouted in pain. Jericho kicked him in the stomach and then started punching any opening in the boy's defenses he could find. Jarrod decided to stop trying to defend against the punches and opted to throw himself at the raider, jumping into his midsection and slamming him against the wall. Jericho grunted but brought his elbow down on Jarrod's back and struck his stomach with his knee at the same time. Jarrod punched Jericho's side repeatedly, shouting, "I'm! Gonna! Fuckin'! Kill! You!" accenting each word with another solid punch.

Jericho pushed forward and ended up toppling Jarrod over, so that now the younger raider lay on his back with Jericho sitting on his chest. After repositioning himself so that his knees held down the boy's arms, he began to swing at Jarrod's face with his fists, hitting his son over and over again. Without mercy, without showing a single sign of remorse, Jericho felt like his young raider self again. This nostalgic elation, brought about by conquering his single prodigy in combat, was everything he had ever hoped to find in a fight. He began to smile with reckless glee as he beat his son's face, then noticed one of their knives lying nearby. He reached for it and grabbed it, holding it up high and preparing to drive it into Jarrod's face.

At that moment, Jericho stood at an unparalleled crossroads. In these last few brief moments, he had mentally regressed to a younger time, his time as a full-fledged raider, much like Jarrod was now. But in this moment of hesitation, as he held a knife over the face of his only child, the blood-driven haze of combat that he had so willingly given over to countless times in his life lifted for a shocking flash of realization.

For when he looked down at Jarrod, he saw not an opponent, but a young man crying, his tears mixing with his blood. The boy was blubbering out muffled words as his eyes puffed up and his face began to swell. "You son of a bitch..." he said between sobs. "You goddamned son of a bitch..."

Jericho's eyes twitched as he looked down at his son, now a crying, terrible mess of a young man. He didn't see the Top Dog of the raiders, all he saw was a wounded, abused child who had never had the chance to live a normal life, who had been robbed of a future.

He saw himself.

"What are you waiting for...?" Jarrod meekly asked. "Do it... just fuckin' do it..."

The old raider numbly shook his head. "No... I'm not gonna do it..."

Jarrod looked up at him. "Do it..."

"No..."

Jarrod's face twisted into a mix of rage and sadness as he shouted, "Fuckin' do it! I'd rather die than live! Goddamn it, just kill me already!" He closed his eyes and cried more. "Don't let me live with it anymore... don't let me fuckin' live with it..."

Jericho threw the knife aside and got off of his son. He shook his head and quietly said, "I'm not gonna kill you..."

Jarrod, still on his back, looked up at his father. "Why, why not? Kill me! You can't just let me live! It's not how it works! It's not how it works!"

"Not to raiders..." Jericho said, a single tear sliding down his cheek. "But to a dad, standin' over his own son, knife in hand... it is."

Jarrod rolled over and held himself up with an elbow. His teary gaze met Jericho's. "You... you can't just... just not kill me... not after this... We fought... You fuckin' left me… and I wanna kill you…" He choked on his words. Spittle, blood, mucus and tears mingled on his face and dripped to the cold floor below.

Jericho walked over to a wall, put his back to it and slowly slid down. "I fucked up, kid... I fucked everything up."

Jarrod blinked a few times and sniffled. "What?"

Jericho didn't look at him as he spoke. "I fucked up. I left your mother because I... I was scared. There was a kid involved and I... I didn't wanna settle down. I was a raider, and I heard the call of the wasteland... So I left her. I told myself and my friends that I was just too badass to raise a kid, but truth is... I was scared out of my mind at that kind of responsibility. Scared more'n anything ever before.

"I ran... like I always did. I ran when my parents died and became a raider. I killed, I drank, I lived... I lived a horrible, miserable fuckin' life. And now, all I can do is look back and regret every fuckin' thing I've ever done. But you?" He looked over at Jarrod. "You're the best thing I ever left behind and the worst thing I ever left."

Jarrod's chin quivered as he listened to his father's words. Jericho continued, "You had a future, kid... you had a life ahead of you and I... I was too much of a chickenshit to give it to you. I couldn't provide for you, I couldn't be a good role model... so I just ran. And now? Now... you're just like me. Because I was robbed of my life, I robbed you of yours... but I didn't get one in return. It don't work like that. It just… don't.

"I was a raider for a long time, kid, a real fuckin' long time. Longer than you've been alive. And now that I've lived my entire life as a raider... I can tell you that it's not worth it. None of it is. Not a single goddamn person'll be around to remember me, or mourn me, or even erect a grave stone for me."

He sighed. "And because of that, nobody will do the same for you. You'll live a life of drugs, killing and faceless women until somebody kills you or you burn out on psycho. They'll throw you in the trash because that's all we fuckin' are... trash. Even to each other. This life, the one we live... it's the worst fuckin' thing in the world, and in the long run, none of it will be worth it. Nothin' matters when you're a raider. You don't care. I've lived long enough to learn that carin' counts for somethin.'

"We all went wrong. I went wrong. And now..." He laughed. "And now, here we are. You're Top Dog and I'm an old man who drinks and smokes himself to death as a backup plan in case something out here in the wastes doesn't do me in first." Jericho wiped a few tears from his eyes.

Jarrod finally said something. "It's the only life we can have..."

Jericho blinked a few times, and then shook his head. "No, it isn't. I've been walkin' with these kids, from the vault... They opened my eyes. I knew people lived different lives from me, but I always assumed that anyone not a raider was just weak. I was wrong. This kid, Lloyd? And his girl, Amata? They're two of the strongest people I've ever met. Lesser kids would've been broken by what they've been through, but not them. They only hired me as a gun and a guide, sure, but I chose to stay with them. I coulda left, but I didn't and I didn't know why at the time but now I do. They... they taught me a life I didn't even know I could live until now. You don't even know, kid, you don't even know."

"So what are you saying?" Jarrod choked out. "What are you fuckin' getting at?"

Jericho's eyes closed. "I don't wanna be a raider anymore... I wanna… be a father."

Jarrod could hardly believe his ears. "It's... it's too late for that… too fuckin' late…"

"No, it isn't," Jericho countered, clenching his fists. "If I can live my entire life as a raider up until this point and forsake all of it for you, right now, then so can you, for me. Give me a chance, kid... I'll be the father you never had and you'll get to live the life I never did, free of all the mistakes I made. And if not... there's your gun over there," he pointed. "Finish it... Joseph."

Jarrod, Joseph, heard his father say his true name for the first time in many years and it shook him to his core. He looked to the gun, then back to the man who had confessed everything to him and now sat there, willing to give him a second chance at life. The incredible weight of all of his father's words crashed down upon him and his tears flowed anew as he crawled over to his father. Everything he had taught himself, how to be tough, how to kill, how to be stronger and meaner than anyone else melted away as his arms locked around his father's waist and he sobbed.

For Jarrod, it was like finally waking up from a long, long nightmare.

For Jericho, it was like finally reaching the surface of water after nearly drowning.

Father and son quietly cried together as, outside, a battle raged throughout Evergreen Mills.

* * *

The bazaar was chaos, meaning it was a downright shooting gallery. The Wandering Pair and their allies managed to break out of the brothel and started gunning down raiders left and right. Moving in a tight group, they shared ammo and covered each other as they shot at their fleeing, disarrayed enemies. Some of the raiders put up a defense, trying to shoot them, but they were always gunned down. It took only ten minutes to clear the bazaar.

"Okay," Lloyd began. "Let's head up, find Jericho and Russ and get the hell outta here!"

"Wait," Charon said. "I need to do something."

"What?" Lloyd nearly shouted as he whipped around. "What the hell do you need to do?"

"It will only take a moment," Charon told him. He turned and headed towards a small cave in the side of the stone wall.

"Charon! What the hell is up with you?" Lloyd demanded to know. He approached the ghoul and forced him to turn around. "Now we came for you and I'll say we've been pretty goddamned patient, but I want to know what the hell is going on, now!"

Charon calmly accepted Lloyd's shouting. "I'm sorry, Lloyd, that I haven't told you. But I can't speak about it until it is done. If there was ever a time when I would ask you to trust me, it would be now." He put his hand on his shoulder. His voice was uncharacteristic; something about it seemed off. Emotional. "I ask you, as the man who set me free, to do it one more time and allow me to face a horrible personal demon… alone." Amata, standing only a few feet away, couldn't help but be slightly moved by the sudden string of emotion in Charon's normally monotonous voice.

Lloyd looked into the pale eyes of his ghoul friend, and after a moment, nodded. "Alright. Go." Charon nodded and resumed walking away.

Amata approached Lloyd. "I'm going to follow him," she said. He gave her a strange look. "I know, but something's off with this whole thing and he made need help. Go with the others and find Jericho and Russ, okay?"

Lloyd was unsure of the entire situation, but decided to trust Amata that she could take care of herself. He captured her lips in a sudden kiss, saying, "For good luck," as he pulled away.

She smiled and went after Charon. Moving through the tunnels, she found herself in a small shopping area, almost like a hidden marketplace. There were shelves of items and it was devoid of people except for one man who was behind the counter of a makeshift store. He wore a trader's outfit, with many pouches and pockets. Charon was talking to him. She snuck closer to hear.

"Hey, look, you're that ghoul, right? I had nothing to do with them capturing you. We can do business!" The man had little hair on his head, save for a long moustache.

"Smiling Jack?" Charon asked.

The man nodded while raising an eyebrow. "Yeah... that's me. Why?"

"I am here to do business with you. I'd like to trade some of my shotgun shells."

The man seemed relieved. "Oh! Well fine, how many?"

Charon took out his shotgun, aimed it at the man's head and said, "Just one."

Amata's eyes closed as Smiling Jack's head exploded in a brutal display of gore. Amata ran out and over to him. "Charon!" she said. "He... he wasn't going to fight you!"

Ignoring her, he moved around the counter and picked up a shotgun from the man's corpse. It had been strapped to his back. "I got what I came for," he told her.

She wasn't quite sure what to say. She decided to ask him once more, "Was that what this was all about, Charon? All of it... for a shotgun?"

He turned to her. His pale blue eyes, normally locked in an expression of anger, seemed softer. "This shotgun... do you know what it is? It is a terrible thing, a terrible shotgun. Long ago, when I was still bound by the contract, a woman held onto it. She was..." He looked away. "She was different from any other owner, up until Lloyd. Though she held onto my contract, she was kind to me. She came to rely on me, and I on her. She was unlike anyone I had ever met in my life." He paused, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. "I loved her, because she loved me."

His grip on the gun tightened. "She and I traveled for a long time, before... The circumstances of her capture are unimportant. I failed to protect her and the contract was taken away. Three raiders, disguised as traders, tricked us. They did not kill her. They took the contract, and I was forced to watch as they used her. For hours, they defiled her, broke her spirit. Finally, one of them, the only one whose name I learned, Smiling Jack they called him, put a shotgun to her head and killed her. Her naked, dead body burning in the sun, left behind without a grave and without any kind of dignity."

He looked down at the corpse. "I wished, more than anything, that I had the strength to not be bound to a piece of paper. I cursed everything; my inability to act against it. You… you cannot imagine how weak, how horribly weak and pathetic one feels… unable to break free from the confines of a single piece of paper… On that day, when I watched them kill the woman I loved, I swore I would take revenge and take shotgun that killed her. Smiling Jack held my contract for a while, brought me here, paraded me like a trophy. That's how I knew exactly where he was and where to go all this time. I knew precisely where to go to get my revenge."

The ghoul grew silent. "Charon..." Amata breathed, "I... we had no idea you carried such trauma with you. Why didn't you ever tell us this? We'd have helped you... in… in any way we could have…"

He shook his head. "I had to do this alone, Amata. I'm glad that I have friends now, willing to help me, but this was long ago. I swore that if I was ever given the means, I would find Smiling Jack and make him pay. My only regret is that I can't give him the pain he gave to me."

Finally, at long last, she understood his pain, though she could only imagine how horrible it must have been for him to experience such a thing. "I'm so sorry, Charon... nobody should have to live with what you have…"

Charon looked at her. "Thank you. Would you..." He paused. "Would you mind if I confessed something else?"

"Of… Of course not, Charon. I'm willing to talk with you about anything you want to talk about." And she was, truly, for Charon often said so little.

He closed his eyes. "Sometimes I think about something I don't want to think about. I've lived long, Amata, very long. All ghouls do. But, what we all don't try to think about is that while we may have a longer life span, no matter what we do, no matter how hard we try... every single ghoul will eventually become feral, a mindless killer. Some ghouls die, their bodies unable to handle it anymore. Others are killed. But for the rest... feral is all that awaits.

"As a ghoul, I've had to live with the knowledge that every single day is a day closer to eventually losing all things that make me who I am. Nothing in the world can stop it. I find solace in knowing that I was able to escape the bonds of my contract and take my revenge before that happened. It was my greatest fear: that the contract would bind me until the day when I finally stopped obeying it, the day I would succumb to the rage that infects the ferals."

He again looked at her. "It is for this I am eternally grateful to you and Lloyd. I have no more affairs in the world that will ever interfere with my service to you. I broke my vow to follow you for my own reasons, and now I reinstate it. My gun," he said, holding up the terrible shotgun, "is yours."

Amata listened to his tale of tragedy and felt like crying. She knew, or at the very least had correctly guessed, that the ghouls lived hard, arduous lives, but she had no idea of knowing that it was like the way Charon phrased it. She knew that everybody, herself included, was going to die someday, but to know that one day you'd become a psychotic monster... It must be terrible, living with that kind of a burden. She wanted to talk to Charon more, but he insisted that they catch up with the others. As he walked past her, she swore to herself that she'd find a way to make things better for Charon.

Charon, her friend.

* * *

Charon and Amata caught up with the rest of their allies on the entry level of the foundry. They moved outside, discovering that the majority of the raiders had been killed, but so had the freed behemoth. Any remaining raiders had retreated or were in hiding. Not keen on questioning their incredible fortune regarding the sudden breakout of the behemoth, they merely spread out in search of their friends. Lucy and Harkness discovered Russ in a cage, wearing a muzzle. They took it off of him and set him free. Other dogs barked, but they all seemed rabid and were ignored.

Lloyd and Amata were more than grateful to see their faithful hound again, and Russ happily licked their faces and barked as his tail wagged. Harkness, meanwhile, set about finding other cages containing slaves in order to free them. Lucy followed him to help ensure his safety.

"So there's Russ, but where's Jericho?" Amata wondered, searching the area with her eyes.

"I don't know," Lloyd said, his eyes scanning the war-torn Evergreen Mills. The behemoth had to have gone on one hell of a rampage, as many of the shacks were smashed and bodies littered the area. Charon moved to patrol for any signs of organized attack. "Is he alright?" Lloyd asked her.

She nodded. "He's okay, Lloyd. I'll talk to you about it later."

Just then, their grizzled raider ally exited the foundry. He approached Lloyd and Amata, calling out, "Hey!" as he did so.

"Jericho! We thought you were dead," Lloyd told him.

"No such luck, kid," the raider chuckled.

"We should leave before the others come back," Charon advised as he walked back up. Lucy and Harkness approached as well, having opened the slave pens. The slaves quickly all filtered out and made for the Canyon's entrance.

"You guys should go, then," Jericho said. They looked at him, confused.

"Pardon?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm stayin' here," he told them. "Jarrod's my son."

They reacted with expected amounts of surprise. "Your son?" Amata asked, almost not believing her ears. She had never pictured Jericho to have a child.

"Yeah. It's a long story, but... I'm stayin' here to… try an' make a difference in his life. We've been talkin' about some things, and we're gonna try to change this place."

"Change Evergreen Mills? Change raiders?" Lloyd asked incredulously.

"He's Top Dog around here," Jericho replied. "We're gonna make a life for ourselves, and honestly?" he said, moving to stand right in front of Lloyd and Amata. At first, they thought he was going to go off on them, but then he smiled and said, "I have you two to thank."

Amata blinked. "Us?"

"You guys saved my life, in more ways than one. I never realized it until just now."

The entire group was utterly amazed at this exposition. Jericho seemed almost like a completely different person, the way he talked, moved, looked... It was like staring into the eyes of a changed man. And for all they knew, they were. Lloyd and Amata, who had known him the longest, were the most flabbergasted.

Lloyd shook his head a little to collect his thoughts. "Are you sure about this, Jericho? We saw Evergreen Mills in all its horrible glory. I mean, it might be quiet now, but the raiders will return and this place will be hell on Earth again."

Jericho nodded. "I'm not sayin' it'll be easy, kid. But you guys taught me that there's more to life than bein' a raider. I intend on teachin' that to my son." He took out his powerful rifle and presented it to Lloyd. "Here, kid, take it. To remember me by."

Lloyd was taken aback by the offer. He took the rifle and looked at the man. "Jericho... I… I honestly don't know what to say. I want to say you were a good friend, but…"

Jericho threw his head back and laughed. "The hell I was, kid. Shut it now, don't get mushy. I've had enough a'that today to last me a fuckin' lifetime."

"We'll miss you," Amata said. 'And there's something I can honestly say I never thought I'd ever say in my life...' she thought.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll miss you guys too. And you, Shitskin, and you too, tin man," Jericho said to both Charon and Harkness.

"Glad to see he holds us in such high regards," Harkness whispered to Charon.

"I could've killed him in a hundred different ways, thousands of times," Charon whispered back.

Lloyd extended his hand, and Jericho shook it. "I guess all I can say is that you were a hell of a guide, Jericho."

"Yeah, I know. Now get the fuck outta here, kid, and find your dad."

Final words were said, and the group, minus Jericho, left Evergreen Mills the way they came with the intent on returning to Jury Street Metro Station to reclaim their gear and recuperate. The old raider watched them go, waiting until he could no longer see them before returning to the foundry's doors and entering them.

He knew he was stepping into a brighter future.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	16. It's a Tranquil Life

The six of them walked out of Evergreen Mills, leaving much behind them, and not just bodies of slain raiders, but their former guide and "friend," Jericho, reunited with his son. Lloyd reflected on this as they travelled back to Jury Street Metro Station to rearm themselves with their former equipment.

Jericho hadn't started out on the best of terms with the pair, but Lloyd and Amata had, over time, grown to get used to his undoubtedly rough company. Lloyd admitted to himself that he would miss the man; his foul mouth and smoking tendencies served to endear him, as odd as it seemed. He was concerned with Jericho's choice to stay behind and questioned the possibility of making a difference in local raider activity purely by influencing his son into following a more benevolent path, but Jericho's choices were his own. And though Lloyd wished he could remain to help his friend, he knew that he had another goal: finding his own father and seeing the full potential of Project Purity reached. Jericho managing to find and reconnect with his own bastard son, in a strange way, gave hope to Lloyd.

As they walked, Amata looked over at Lloyd and saw him silently contemplating the events of the previous hours. His green eyes were distant, as if seeking some far-off goal. His shoulders slumped ever so slightly, a sign that he wasn't the happiest at the moment. It was understandable, considering what they had been through since leaving the vault. From one place to the next, distractions aside, they had been to what seemed like all over the Capital Wasteland, seeking his father, getting closer yet staying so far behind. She remembered the last time she had seen James in Vault 101, and as she looked at Lloyd now, she saw similarities between the two of them. The short facial hair that had begun to grace Lloyd's face made him more keenly resemble his father, in addition to other small similarities.

Stealing her gaze from Lloyd, she looked back to see Harkness and Lucy walking side-by-side as well. Just in front of them was Russ, trekking dutifully behind Lloyd. Taking up the rear was Charon. After briefly making eye contact with the ghoul, Amata resumed looking forward. She hadn't told Lloyd about her conversation with Charon, and she still wasn't completely sure if she wanted to. The ghoul had lived a hard life, and didn't have too much of a bright future to look forward to. It saddened her, but if Charon was content to simply continue living life the way he had up until this point, she didn't see much point in bringing it up anymore. The ghoul had shared with her his darkest, most painful secrets. She knew that it wouldn't do well about her friend to bring them up again.

The sun was just rising over the horizon by the time they reached their destination. The entire group was silent until they reached the place where they had donned raider disguises and hidden their normal arms and armor. After everyone reequipped themselves, they convened in the center of the crossroads in the heart of the area. All around them, various bodies from the previous day's battle littered the area, giving it a morbid appearance and smell.

"Everyone got their stuff back?" Harkness asked as he slid a police baton into his belt. He raised the question, even though he was capable of scanning them all and comparing their current equipment to what it was before they had disguised themselves, which was catalogued in his memory. But he had to maintain appearances.

"I think so," Lloyd replied before yawning. He checked his Pip-Boy, making sure it was still in working condition since he had left it behind, and noted the time. "It's 6am. We didn't get much sleep last night."

Lucy and Amata both shared his weariness. Harkness could tell by scanning them that they could use more rest. "Let's break until noon, then," he suggested. "I'll keep watch. It wouldn't do you any good to be tired in case something ambushes us." Russ barked, and Harkness knelt to pet the canine. "I'll keep Russ up here with me, too. He'll sniff out anything that comes our way."

Lloyd, although he desperately wanted to find his father, agreed with the android's assessment. "Alright, let's… let's get some shuteye," he yawned again, moving off to the fallout shelter. Amata and Charon followed, but not Lucy. They looked back before opening the manhole to see her kissing Harkness, which still unnerved them, given they knew his true identity.

She quickly skipped back over to them and together they all entered the shelter, ensuring that the manhole did not get locked this time in case of an emergency. As they settled in around a small area with dusty cots, Lucy looked at the Wandering Pair and asked, "Hey, guys, something's been bothering me since we left Evergreen Falls…"

"What is it?" Amata asked, rolling over to look at the blonde woman.

"Why did Jericho call Christopher 'tin man'?"

Almost without thinking, Lloyd immediately jumped in with, "Oh, that's just a little joke Jericho thought was funny. Sometimes Harkness seems kind of like a robot, you know? I mean, he has a very… calculating way of looking at things."

Lucy was quiet as she absentmindedly chewed a fingernail. "Okay," she seemed to accept his response, before rolling and settling on her cot. Lloyd and Amata exchanged nervous, uncertain glances before they themselves turned to sleep. Charon characteristically said nothing. Before they fell unconscious, both of the vault dwellers set their alarm clocks on their Pip-Boys to alert them when afternoon came.

* * *

Once they had fully rested up, they left the fallout shelter and once more started on their way. Lloyd squinted as he looked up at the afternoon sun hanging high in the sky. "We can reach the garage with the vault underneath it before night if we hurry," he said. "Let's just hope nothing hits us between here and there."

Lucy tied the bandana over her blonde hair a little tighter before looking at Lloyd and inquiring, "Think you'll finally find him? Your dad, I mean?"

He regarded her with hopeful eyes before replying, "I think so."

"But… I mean, what if we don't?" she persisted.

He paused, then shook his head and said, "If he's not there, then we'll find where he's gone. I'll follow him anywhere he goes." His words carried a note of finality, as if there could be no further argument, and he began striding towards the west. As he walked, he slid his goggles into place and put his helmet on, equipping the new laser rifle Harkness had made for him.

Amata quickly jogged to catch up with him, as did the others immediately after. Lucy whispered to Harkness, "Do you think I upset him?"

The android shook his head and replied in an equally low tone, "I don't think so… but I wouldn't focus on the idea of not finding his father. He has to believe that we'll find him, that he's alive… it's the entire reason he's out here, after all."

"What do you think?" she still whispered, "Do you think we'll find him?"

"I don't know," he honestly answered.

Charon listened to them in typical silence. The ghoul was wondering the same thing, though, and allowed himself to entertain the idea of meeting Lloyd's father. It would be interesting to meet the man who was the father of the young adult he so respected. More interesting would be what would happen after they finally caught up to him. Lloyd had changed, very slightly, since their visit to the Jefferson Memorial. It intrigued Charon, this path Lloyd and Amata were headed down, and he was fully content to follow them all along and see it through to the end.

Amata had a knack for sensing when Lloyd was uneasy. She placed her hand on his armored shoulder. "Lloyd? Do you want to talk?"

"He'll be there," he replied. "I just know it."

Russ whined a little as he followed the two. Amata's eyes grew a little sympathetic. "Lloyd… I know we've been out here a while… This wasteland, it starts to change people, you know?" She thought back to Evergreen Mills, how she unceremoniously slit an unconscious raider's throat. "I know it does. I don't want to see you tear yourself apart if he's not there, okay? We'll find him no matter what happens."

He listened to her words and tried to take them to heart, but deep down, he knew he was getting tired and angry at not finding James. Lloyd wanted resolution, he wanted justification, and he wanted answers. She was right, the wasteland changes people, and he regretted that she had to endure this painful outside world along with him. Putting his gun in his left hand, he reached up with his right and took her hand in his and held it. She squeezed and he smiled as he looked at her.

"I won't," he promised.

Yet, somehow, he knew he'd find James in some form or another in this vault. He felt close, closer than he had ever been to his father since leaving the vault. As he felt her fingers intertwined with his own, he was reminded that he wasn't alone in his search. Amata, Russ and the others would be there to help him. Be his father alive or dead, he wouldn't be alone, and it comforted him to know this.

* * *

Smith Casey's Garage was once an automobile repair center. Now, destroyed cars lay strewn about its ruined exterior. Nearby was a dormant Red Rocket refueling station. The garage had two large doors that were sealed shut and blocked off by debris. Its sign was faded and missing letters and a nearby roadside billboard that advertised it was similarly faded and cracked. A single door on the left hand side of the building served as its entrance.

They approached it in the early evening, just as the sun was nearing the horizon, casting the warm, orange colors of dusk upon the land. Lloyd opened the door to the garage, leading with his gun. The interior of the building wasn't much better than the outside, with trash and scrap metal lying around alongside empty toolboxes and rusted vehicles. The party was startled when they heard something move, then relieved when it turned out to just be a radroach skittering around underneath one of the cars.

"Lloyd," Harkness called out from another room as they spread out. "There's dead animals in here. Molerats." Lloyd and Amata followed him into the room and saw the dead, pink-skinned rat-creatures lying near a staircase that led down into some sort of basement.

"Fair chance he came through here?" Lucy posed the question.

Lloyd nodded. "I think so. And he went down there," he said, moving to the metal stairs.

The stairway led to an underground power generator facility with a walkway that divulged into two more staircases that wound down the large, inactive generator. At the bottom, they found a door made out of stainless steel with a valve in its center. Lloyd turned it and the mechanics took over, sliding the door open. This hall was dimly lit and pipes ran the length of its walls. Moving carefully, wary of any kind of a trap in this confined space, they discovered another metal door. Lloyd turned the valve and stepped back as it opened, and as he looked through to the new room, his expression changed to one of surprise and shock. Amata's eyes widened as she saw the sight as well.

Directly at the end of a short entryway was a large, metal door in the shape of a cog that was all-too recognizable to the vault dwellers. A familiar console with buttons and switches that controlled it was to its immediate right. In the center of this massive cog was the number "112."

"Vault 112…" Amata whispered. "It looks just like the entrance to Vault 101…"

"Not quite as rocky as 101…" Lloyd replied, stepping into the dark hall. The others filed in behind him.

"This is a vault door? An entrance?" Harkness asked, "Never seen one before."

"Me neither," Lucy said before she added, "Damn, that's a big door."

"It is just like the door that seals 101, though," Lloyd said as he approached the console. "We might be able to open it from here, providing it's not been locked from the inside."

"And if it has?" Charon asked.

Lloyd paused. "Well, let's just hope it's not." He looked at the various switches and levers on the yellow switchboard, before grabbing a handle, pulling it out until he heard a clicking sound which allowed him to slide it down.

An alarm sounded as a yellow light flashed alongside the door. Bright lights from the sides of the hallway lit up and focused on the massive steel cog. They could hear some kind of air being released with a distinct hiss and a loud, mechanical screeching sound emanated from behind the door that rang throughout Amata and Lloyd's minds, stirring memories of the day they had left their vault. They could hear a screwing sound, then something charging up as a prelude to the door being pulled back and rolled aside by a mechanical arm. As the noise and the alarm died down, they peered into a room that nearly exactly resembled the one just beyond Vault 101's door. For the Wandering Pair, it was nothing short of uncanny.

Warily, they entered. The vault looked to be in working condition, with computers, lighting and electrical pylons all continuing to function despite their age. "This is a vault?" Lucy asked, looking around at the dusty walls and metal architecture.

"The air in this place is dry and stagnant," Charon spoke up. "I don't like it."

"Vaults aren't necessarily the most homely of places," Lloyd said, "but to people like us, they're still, or rather, were, a home."

"If your dad came through this way, then why's the door closed?" Harkness pondered.

Lloyd shrugged. Amata guessed, however. "Maybe they run on a timer, not staying open for extended periods of time."

Harkness nodded, before looking around, seemingly taking in all the details. "Is this room just like the one in your vault? Maybe they have the same design?"

Lloyd numbly shook his head as he looked around. "I don't think so… it's a little different." He set his sights on a door. "That door, for example… that's different from 101."

"Let's see the rest of this place," Lucy suggested, curiosity painting her voice.

Approaching the door, Lloyd grabbed its handle and pulled it open. This new hallway had large metal crates and yet another door beyond those. "Doors after doors in this place, eh?" he cracked a joke that nobody responded to. With his gun still leading his path, he opened up the second door and almost fired upon the robotic figure that immediately approached and startled him.

The room had large computer towers and a robot containment pod, though he wasn't focusing on those. He was more interested in the robot. It had tank-like treads for locomotion, its body was cylindrical, its arms were like long black tubes tipped in metal claws and, to top it all off, its head was a clear casing for a human brain suspended in some kind of green, viscous-looking liquid substance. Wires and tubes ran from the brain housing to its body, and when it spoke (in an unnerving, robotic feminine voice) the brain seemed to light up on every syllable.

"Welcome to Vault One-One-Two, Resident!" It greeted with what could be described as a polite tone. "According to sensors, you and your party have arrived 202.3 years behind schedule." Before Lloyd or any of them could communicate back with the robot, it continued, "Please re-dress in your Vault-Tec issued vault jumpsuit before proceeding. If you have misplaced your suit, I am authorized to distribute a new one. Once dressed, please proceed down the stairs to the main floor so that you may enter your assigned Tranquility Lounger."

Sudden, the robot spoke in a very high and alert tone: "ERROR! Canine animals are unable to dress in Vault-Tec issued jumpsuits, as there are no Vault-Tec issued jumpsuit brands for their breed. All canines will be unable to join their owners in any Tranquility Lounger. ERROR! Current stock shows no new Pip-Boys in stock. Those without one will be unable to enter a Tranquility Lounger. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have on your long-term survival. If you would like to issue a complaint or register for a new Pip-Boy device, please contact your nearest Vault-Tec or RobCo service installation. Thank you, and have a nice day."

As soon as it had completed droning out its automated responses, its chest popped open and two vault jumpsuits slid out. Amata and Lloyd looked at each other, then their companions, before taking the two blue suits.

"I guess these are for just us, then?" Amata asked as she unfolded hers. She marveled at how much it was exactly like the ones from Vault 101, only with a "112" on the back. The robot wheeled away and stared at a wall.

"I suppose so…" Lloyd replied, similarly looking his over.

"What the hell's a Tranquility… whatever?" Lucy asked.

"A valid question that deserves some investigation," Harkness agreed with her. "I'm concerned with some of the words that robobrain used. Specifically the "Tranquility Lounger," among other things."

"Nothing seems right about this," Charon reaffirmed his dislike of the vault.

"Let's get our questions answered, then," Lloyd told them, indicating a door in one corner of the room, the only exit aside from the one they had come from.

Following yet staircase, they found themselves in a long hallway with windows made of thick, dusty glass. They approached one of these windows and looked out into a very large room that stretched for quite a distance. It was an atrium, but repurposed for something very, very strange.

At the center of the atrium was a large column of metal and technology that reached up to the ceiling. Small red lights flashed around it in groups and sequence. At the base of this column were various computer terminals, displaying many different things they couldn't see from their vantage point. Groups of wires and large tubes emerged from it, each leading to a series of man-sized, egg-shaped metal pods that looked as though they could be opened with the top and bottom halves separating, but each one was currently closed and sealed. Small, very feint lights could be seen inside the pods through dim windows.

The pods were numerous, in rows of ten to ten, positioned so that they would form a square around the central column mainframe. There seemed to at least be a hundred pods, but the room was darkly lit, making counting the exact number impossible. The large wires split into smaller branches, and then even smaller branches, with each and every single pod connected directly to the central mainframe.

The whole area had a strange and unsettling appearance. Mist seemed to waft around the room, and everything had a slightly blue tint, indicating a low temperature.

"What the hell is all that?" Harkness muttered.

"I'm guessing… the Tranquility Loungers…" Lloyd breathed. His mind reeled with the possibility that contained inside each and every single one of those pods could be a person.

"Are there people inside those things?" Lucy asked.

"I can't tell," Amata replied, trying to squint and look through the glass. As she rubbed some dust off of it, she felt a distinct coolness from its surface.

"We should take a closer look," Charon advised.

They moved to one end of the hall, discovering a stairway that led down to the bottom floor of the atrium. They opened the large metal door, which slid open and unleashed a torrent of cold air which wafted over them. Having never really encountered a concentrated cold temperature in the wasteland, they all felt completely out of their element. They entered the atrium slowly, cautious for any kind of surprise. Guns up, they each split up but remained loosely grouped as they moved through the large room. The mist gave way as they walked through it.

Amata approached one of the pods and looked inside. Its dim glass indeed revealed a person inside, sitting in a relaxed position in a chair, their faces fixated on some kind of computer screen. The images on the screen changed and shifted, illuminating the individual's face slightly with different patterns.

"My god…" she whispered. Lucy drew near and looked inside.

"Do you think they're… trapped in there?" the blonde waster asked.

Amata numbly shook her head. "No idea…"

Harkness and Lloyd were a little further ahead of them. They neared the massive column in the center of the room. The android drew near to Lloyd and whispered, "These people are in stasis, Lloyd. I can't quite figure out why, though it's caused by these pods. My scans show that they're alive, and being fed and taken care of, but their brain activity… well, it's hard to describe, but it's unlike anything I've ever seen. It's like they're not really there, they're… somewhere else."

Lloyd nodded, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the pods. He replied, in just as low a tone, "Harkness, scan anybody in the pods and see if they have a matching blood type or body structure or anything that would indicate a possibility of my father being in one. Be methodical."

The android nodded and moved off, looking at the pods as he passed by them. Lloyd looked down at Russ, who was shivering slightly. "I know boy, I know, it's cold as hell in here," he said, kneeling down to pet the canine.

"Lloyd. Maybe you should investigate that," Charon advised, pointing towards the central mainframe. He looked at the ghoul and nodded in agreement before approaching it directly.

"At the very least, maybe I might be able to lower the temperature in this place," Lloyd muttered.

Charon looked around the upper reaches of the room, noting the metal walkways. He froze when he saw two motionless robobrains facing the main room, and in effect, them. He watched as they turned to each other for a moment before turning back to the room again. He hated those things, they unnerved him, how they could be looking in any direction but you felt as though they were looking directly at you. They turned from each other and moved away in opposite directions. Had they noted his awareness of them? He didn't know with those accursed machines.

A keyboard emerged from below a computer screen as Lloyd activated it. It was cold to the touch, some of the keys actually frosted over. He frowned as he pressed down hard on some of them to get them to register his commands. The interface on these computers was just like the ones in his vault, so he knew his way around the system. Connecting his Pip-Boy to the terminal, he ran various programs and entered a multitude of commands in his attempt to hack his way into its more secure files. It was well-guarded, but in the end, Lloyd proved too clever for the firewall program. He entered the password "bookmark32" and gained access to much of the system.

His interest was primarily in the records of the people inside the pods. He got their names, ages, date of entering and any special oddities of note… that's when he saw it. 'Unknown individual in pod 4-B.' He called out, "Hey, Harkness! Try Section Four, Pod B!"

"Got it," his reply came through the mist.

Lloyd also noticed that the screen indicted two vacant pods before he turned and headed towards Harkness' voice, with the others following him. They took care not to trip over any of the thick wires loosely draped about the floor.

Harkness stopped by the pod Lloyd had mentioned as soon as he found it. He looked inside. "Lloyd," he spoke, loudly so that he could hear, "I think you'll want to see this."

He hurried over to the source of the android's voice. The pod was much like the others, and Harkness was rubbing its glass to rid it of dust and frost. He moved aside for Lloyd, who cupped his eyes as he stared into the glass.

He found his breath came short as he peered inside and saw his father James, an exact visage of the man he was when Lloyd had seen him last in the vault. In this moment, a realization of how long it had been since he had seen his father and what he had gone through to find him came to Lloyd. It felt long and short at the same time, and yet, his father was exactly the same. Lloyd felt different, however. He felt older, perhaps wiser or more aware of the real world. His hair had grown and he carried scars, although none which were visible because of another mystery that needed solving. Sights, sounds, people, places all filtered into his mind, everything he had done up until this point in the pursuit of the man who was now in this pod before him.

His father was born in the wasteland. His father had grown up in the wasteland, had brought Lloyd into Vault 101, had already known all of the things Lloyd now knew about survival. His father had always carried this knowledge, in secret, but it was there and it defined him in many different ways, ways that he had kept hidden during his time as Vault 101's chief physician. Because his father already had come from the wasteland, he was no different since his leaving. Everything about him was familiar, except for the pod in which he was now sitting in.

"Well?" Harkness asked, knowing full well that it was almost a complete certainty.

"It's him…" Lloyd said quietly, stepping back. The others caught up then, and Amata looked into the pod and softly gasped.

Just as she had thought earlier, James resembled an elder Lloyd alright, with a more defined beard and graying hair. He wore a vault suit beneath a white, somewhat torn and dirty labcoat, and a pair of sneakers.

"My god, it's him…" she said, looking to Lloyd. "It's him, Lloyd…"

He nodded. "I know." He put his hand on the side of the pod. "He's here."

Lucy and Charon both tried to look into the pod, but stayed where they were. "It's really him?" Lucy asked.

Lloyd couldn't help but laugh a little as he took his hand off the pod and ran it through his hair, taking his helmet off as he did so. "Yes, it's him," he said. "It's him, it's him, it's him…" he trailed off.

"But how do we get him out?" Amata asked. Her question stalled Lloyd for a moment.

"Hang on," he said as he suddenly left the pod's side and pushed past the others, heading towards the mainframe. Amata hurried after him.

"Lloyd? What's your plan?"

"Maybe I can open it and get him out," he replied, once more accessing the terminal and pressing many keys. His eyes went from the screen to the keyboard multiple times as he spoke, "This central mainframe here somehow holds their… consciousness. It's difficult, amazing, and strange, but I think that while keeping these people in stasis, it's drawing their brain functions elsewhere."

"How can it do that?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I have no idea. It'd take a certified genius or an insane technician to design this kind of hardware. Maybe both; who knows. But maybe I can open up dad's pod."

He continued to work at it, and the others approached. As he worked for a few more moments, he grew a little concerned and confused. "Something's… wrong…" he said.

"Wrong?" Harkness repeated.

"The system won't allow me access. It's like… someone is countering my every move, putting up a new wall that wasn't there a moment ago."

Amata looked at the screen, but all she saw were words and lines of code that were indecipherable to her.

"Maybe there's somebody else in the vault doing that," Lucy suggested.

"No, I'm the only person who is accessing the system from the outside," he replied, shaking his head as he did so. "Unless someone is just that good, they're able to hide themselves…"

"Could be an AI," Harkness put in. "Those exist."

Lloyd paused for a moment, only a moment, as he heard Harkness' words and suppressed the urge to chuckle at the context of who had spoken them. "Maybe," he instead said. Then he stopped everything and cocked an eyebrow. "The hell is this?"

The lines of code suddenly wiped away, all replaced with a few words of green text:

**"YOU DIDN'T SAY THE MAGIC WORD."**

Lloyd was confused. "Magic word?"

"Please?" Amata said. Lloyd quickly typed it in.

**"PLEASE WHAT?"** was the reply.

Lloyd looked at the others. "We're clearly communicating with an intelligence or intelligent program of some sort," Harkness stated. "Let's keep up the dialog."

Lloyd shrugged and typed in that he would like to have pod 4-B opened.

The mysterious other user simply said, **"NO."**

Lloyd asked why.

**"I'M NOT DONE WITH HIM YET."**

Lloyd's brow furrowed, and the others looked on with concern. He typed in that he would like to know why the man was being kept and if it was against his will.

**"HE ENTERED THE POD OF HIS OWN FREE WILL. I DIDN'T FORCE HIM THERE. SAME FOR THE OTHERS."**

"And who, exactly, is he? And why are all these people inside these things in the first place?" Amata asked Lloyd. He quickly replicated these questions on the screen.

**"I AM THE OVERSEER OF VAULT 112."**

"The Overseer…" Lloyd repeated softly, and as he did so both he and Amata recalled her father, Alphonse, back in Vault 101. He typed a request to speak to his father.

**"THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE UNLESS YOU COME INSIDE."**

**"COME INSIDE WHAT?"** Lloyd replied.

**"I CAN SEE THAT TWO OF YOU HAVE JUMPSUITS AND PIP-BOYS. THERE ARE TWO VACANT PODS. ENTER THEM AND COME INSIDE WHERE WE CAN TALK FACE-TO-FACE AND YOU CAN TALK TO YOUR FATHER."**

As they read the text as it appeared, Lloyd grew worried. What was on the "inside" that the computer text referenced?

"This doesn't sound like a good idea," Harkness warned. "We have no idea what these pods really do."

"Well, they don't kill," Lloyd pointed out. "So they should be… somewhat safe. And my father is in one."

"Isn't there any other way?" Amata asked. Lloyd typed out her question on the screen.

**"NOT ANYMORE."**

"Not anymore?" Charon read. "This man thinks to play a game with us."

The screen's text all suddenly vanished and was replaced with a message that now also displayed on all other monitors. **"THERE IS NO MORE TALK. ALL OUTSIDE ACCESS MAINFRAME TERMINALS HAVE BEEN LOCKED. YOU TWO MUST ENTER. END OF LINE."**

"Well, there's a note of finality if ever I heard one," Lloyd said, frustrated.

"One hell of an ultimatum," Amata muttered.

"What's the plan, Lloyd?" Harkness asked.

Lloyd turned and was silent for a few seconds before he said, "I don't think we have a choice. We'll go in," he said as he looked at Amata, "and find my father and whoever is behind this. You guys," he turned to the others, "will stay out here. Explore the rest of the vault, but be careful. Something tells me this guy is watching our every move. See if you can find anything useful, maybe the Overseer's office. If we don't find some way out of these things… then Harkness, I'll leave you to figure out what to do."

The android nodded. "I'll try to make sure that doesn't happen, Lloyd."

"Alright," he nodded as he looked back to Amata. "Let's find someplace to change and get ready."

"I'm worried, Lloyd," Amata told him.

He had a grim look on his face as he said, "So am I."

* * *

Lloyd and Amata found it uncomfortable changing in the darkened halls into Vault 112 jumpsuits. Though they were fine enough being with each other, the idea that whomever Lloyd had been talking to was watching them was enough to make them incredibly nervous of being surveyed as they did so. Stripping themselves of their armor so that only their underwear was worn under the suits, they finished and set their gear into a corner.

"What if it's not there when we come back?" Amata asked.

Lloyd shrugged. "If those robots are going to move our stuff, they'll put them somewhere in the vault. We'll find them."

"What about a garbage incinerator?" she pointed out.

"If all the people in this vault were meant to go into those pods, there'd be no reason for a garbage incinerator to exist in the first place, right?" he smiled.

She smiled as well. "Makes sense. Hope you're right, Lloyd."

They re-entered the room, finding Harkness looking over the only two empty pods, with Charon, Lucy and Russ nearby. "It's nice to have sleeves on now, at least," Amata said in Lloyd's ear. He nodded, wishing that the room wouldn't have to be so damn cold. The pods were probably going to be even colder.

"Looks like they're ready," Harkness said to the others. "And so are the pods." The two empty pods were located alongside each other, and weren't far from the pod containing Lloyd's father.

The two of them stopped next to the android in between the pods. "We're ready," Lloyd said, adjusting his collar slightly. "Man… it's been a while since we've worn these things."

"I'm still not sure this is a good idea, Lloyd," Harkness warned. "This whole situation is unprecedented. I can't offer any advice on what might happen to you in these things."

"You may freeze to death in these pods," Charon pointed out.

Lloyd shook his head. "I know, but… Whoever this guy is, I don't think he would invite us to enter the pods and just kill us. If he is playing a game, like you say Charon, well, I figure we don't have much of a choice but to play along."

Harkness put his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Just be careful in there, you two. Who knows what the hell you'll find in there."

Lloyd smiled, putting his hand on his friend's. "Thanks, Christopher. We will."

Charon stepped forward. "Good luck to both of you, and may fortune find favor for the foolish."

"Don't worry," Amata said to the ghoul, "we'll be alright." Though she carried just as much doubt as they, she remained hopeful of their chances.

"Lucy? Care to say any words?" Lloyd asked the blonde, who was still leaning against a nearby wall.

"You two are crazy for trying, but I doubt this is the craziest thing you've done… or will do," she said with a smile.

"Probably true," he agreed. After both of them knelt to pet Russ, they stood and looked at each other. Amata stepped closer and initiated a kiss, which continued for several seconds, causing the others to avert their eyes. As they parted, they shared one last look into each other's eyes before turning and walking towards their respective pods.

Both of them climbed into a chair that was too cold for adequate comfort. As the pods closed around them, sealing them in with a hissing sound, both of them felt a distinct sense of claustrophobia, combined with a fear of the unknown and what would happen to them next. In both pods, a television-like screen snapped into position right in front of their faces, displaying oddly enough what appeared to be the image of a pristine, pre-war American neighborhood.

They felt suddenly drowsy and cold. As the stasis effect took hold of them, they didn't notice small stinging sensations brought on by syringes and wires poking into their skin through small holes and ports that were unique to the Vault 112 jumpsuit's design, differences that were far too subtle to be noticed by either them prior to entering the pods. Soon, both of them found themselves unable to move, or control their breathing or blinking, two functions now controlled systematically by external machinations. Their ability to be aware of their actual environment faded quickly thereafter, and their consciousness drifted elsewhere.

The functions of their brain were now being transmitted through a complexly designed interweaving series of small wires that now burrowed through the back of their neck to the tip of their spine, connecting with various synapses and nerve endings. Combined with information fed directly to their eyes from the screen, their very perception of reality was shifted elsewhere, through a computer, into a virtual world unlike anything they had ever experienced or imagined.

Harkness scanned the two pods every single second of this transformation, noting the lowering temperature and the change in brainwave function and frequencies. He was relieved that both of them were alive, though still worried by the fact that they were now in the same situation as all of the other people interred in pods, including Lloyd's father. He had to trust that both of them would find their way out somehow, as now he doubted he could get them out himself due to being locked out of the system.

'Good luck, you two,' he thought. 'Something tells me you are definitely going to need it.''

* * *

'A bright light … wind blowing… I head something… something sounds like… people? People nearby…? What's that other sound… an engine? What… what is this…? Where am I…?'

Amata felt incredibly strange; like she was floating or underwater. Something about this didn't feel… _right. _Like her body was no longer her own. She felt displaced; perhaps that was the best word for it. Everything was just ever-so-slightly off. Wrong.

Her sight returned to her then, with everything around her slowly going from complete white, to a dull brown blur, to clear-as-day sight. And what she saw was the strangest thing she could have ever imagined and caused her to nearly stumble backwards.

It was like stepping into an old photograph, right down to the dull, sepia-like tone. The entire world, everything she saw, was a dull grey-brown color. It resembled an American town, but from before the Great War. Houses stood, perfectly constructed and not in the slightest bit wrecked or destroyed. Grass grew in the ground, birds sang in the trees, cars drove by and people walked up and down the perfect, undamaged and clean sidewalks.

And Amata was now in the body of a little girl. She wore a white dress, and her Pip-Boy was gone.

Few things could make Amata say the following, and the entirety of the situation she now found herself in was one of them. "What… in the… fuck…?"

A voice from behind her startled her. A man wearing a summer shirt and lightly-colored pants was holding up a finger and wagging it as he scolded her. "Hey, hey, hey! Watch your language, little girl! What would your parents think of such a potty mouth?"

Amata nearly leapt off the bench she had been sitting on. She turned and faced the man, looking up at him. "I'm, I'm no little girl! I'm a… a young adult!" she said in a very light, squeaky and childlike voice.

The man put his hands on his hips and wore a dismissive face as he said, "Uh-huh. Why don't you just run along now, eh? And don't use such terrible language anymore, or else I'll have a word with your father and mother and they wouldn't like that. Run along now, go play with some of the other kids. It's a lovely day!"

The man turned and walked away down the street, whistling as he did so, as if he didn't have a care in the world. He stopped and greeted a couple as they passed him by.

'What the hell's going on? This isn't real… none of this can be real…' As she looked up and down the road, seeing sights that were utterly alien to her. People talking to each other on street corners about how nice the weather was, a lemonade stand manned by a little boy, cars drive by with the people stopping to shout hello to passing pedestrians. She knew she was right about this not being real. This was some kind of… simulation. A computer world.

This entire place was utterly alien and foreign to everything she had ever known; which essentially was the vault and the wasteland. Both of those places felt real to her; she had experienced them and knew vividly about them, but this… Everything felt strange and wrong and like a lie. This wasn't the real world; this was a dream… or a nightmare.

As she turned and took in the sights of the pre-war town, she realized she was alone. "Lloyd?" she began to call out his name. He wasn't anywhere to be found. 'Oh, great…' she thought. 'Alone, trapped in the body of a little girl, in a strange town that's not even real…'

She again nearly jumped into the air when someone approached her from behind and said, "Well hi there!" She turned and saw another man. This one wore glasses and a hat and had a friendly smile. "Say, when'd your family move into town? I don't think I've seen you running around."

"Uh… yeah, we're new… What's the name of this place, exactly?" she warily asked, her eyes darting around. Communicating with these people made her feel strange. Were they real? Were they the other people in the pods? Did they even know where they were or what was going on? These questions, and many more, paraded through her mind. She focused as he gave his answer.

"Why, Tranquility Lane, of course! Best place in the world to live!" he spryly replied.

'Tranquility Lane…' she thought. "Well, um… thank you?" she said.

"Hey, no problem little missy! Say, I think Betty would like to meet you. There's only a few little girls in this town to play with, and Betty sure would like to play with you if you're new."

"And… Who's Betty?" she asked.

He laughed. "Who's Betty? Almost forgot you were new here! Betty's the pride and joy of Tranquility Lane. She wins all the beauty pageants and singing contests and arts & crafts competitions, always places first in the footraces and eating contests and is just the smartest and sweetest little bundle of joy this town has ever seen!" The way he spoke of her, the pride in his voice, made him seem like she was his own daughter, but that didn't quite seem right to Amata. It almost seemed… forced.

Amata's eyebrows slowly rose as she listened. She then said, "Oh… okay… Do you know where she is…?"

"Well, Tranquility Lane is a big wraparound, see? And there's a circular park in the middle with a playground and a small pond and a flower garden. She's there all the time, watering the flowers and playing with the others. You go and play with her, now, I need to get home and work on my car. Have a good day!" he called out as he turned to leave.

"Hey, wait," Amata said, running up to him. She almost tripped in the shoes she wore. "Have you seen another… maybe a little boy around? He's also… new."

The man scratched his chin. "Hmmm… Nope, I don't believe I have. I'll be sure to send him to Betty if I do, though!" he said before walking away.

'The hell is that guy's obsession with Betty?' she thought.

She began walking, and taking to some other people, but to her growing confusion and unease, she discovered that all of them were alike that man. They were all too… happy, too comfortable with complete strangers. Talking to them was like talking to a robot; each of them gave similar responses. They talked about how nice the weather was, about how wonderful it was to live in this town, and all of them, _all of them, _talked about Betty. Even when there was no provocation to bring her up, they threw her name out. Constantly listing off Betty's achievements and how she made the town so great.

She approached a few of them and tried to tell them that nothing was real, that it was all a simulation. They each laughed her off, saying various things like, "Too many comic books, young lady!" and the like, completely dodging her point. The entire town was round, with a white fence and a thick line of trees lining the outskirts, completely blocking any exit. What was the point of having cars that drove nowhere? What was the point of having mailboxes if there was no mailing office? Did nobody question that there were no grocery stores, train stations, or literally anything else that wasn't a suburban household?

Though she tried and asked, nobody had heard of anyone named Lloyd and he was nowhere to be found. It concerned her, but she was determined to press onwards regardless.

She raised some of these points, but nobody listened. Not a single person. Eventually, she grew fed up with trying to talk to anyone and resolved to find Betty, thinking that it might be the only way to make progress in this place. Following the man's direction, she walked towards the center of the town and discovered the small park. There was a slide and other playground equipment, as well as bushes and flowers and a dog tied up to a stick in the ground who was barking at her as she approached. Moving around the canine, she entered the park and looked around, seeking out anything that resembled a little girl.

She heard some whistling, and then saw a girl stand up from having been kneeling to water some flowers. The girl looked blonde, and she wore a pretty, neat dress and had an air of innocence about her. Amata moved around and got the girl's attention with a short greeting.

Betty turned around and put on an absolutely elated face. "Oh, my! Someone new to play with! How fortunate I've been lately, how fortunate indeed!" she excitedly exclaimed. She set down the watering can and held out her hand. "Hi! I'm Betty!" Her voice was light and fluttery.

"Hi… I'm Amata," she slowly said, shaking hands with the blonde girl. 'This is the girl everyone in this town is talking about? Maybe she has some answers…'

"I'm glad you're here now, I was starting to get bored. Oh, what fun we'll have together!" Betty said, clapping her hands and nearly hopping in place. "Do you want to play a game?"

"Uh, well, first I'd like to ask you some questions," Amata said.

Betty smiled and wagged a finger. "No, I think we should play a game first. How about a game?" she asked.

Amata shook her head. "One moment, please. Could you just answer some things for me?"

Betty laughed, as if it were completely ridiculous, and replied, "No… No. I think you, and I, are going to play a game… _now._"

The girl spoke in such a way that contained within her words was something terrible, a malevolence that was hidden behind the idea of this little girl. The finality of her words had a familiar ring, and it sent shivers down Amata's spine.

"Al-alright… what kind of game?" she nervously asked.

Betty beamed. "Oh, it'll be easy, a very fun game, and simple, really. There's a little boy in this town named Timmy Neusbaum. He's got an idea that he'll make some change with a lemonade stand. It was funny, in a silly way, but now I want to see him cry. Make him cry."

Amata cocked an eyebrow. "Make him… cry?"

"Yeah! And it has to be a big cry, too, not just one little tear from punching his eye or something. Make him cry his little eyes out. He's a big crybaby already, so it should be easy. I just wanna see how you do it."

These words, spoken so purely and sweetly from this little girl, frightened Amata in a way she had never quite experienced. What the hell kind of little girl said things like this?

Betty continued, "Make him cry, and then come back here. We'll talk some more." She smiled, and Amata swore that the smile had a much stranger implication than just a young girl's glee. It was of someone far intelligent beyond the capacity of a normal little girl, someone who had a much larger picture in mind, something she herself could only guess at.

Everything was wrong with this little girl, just like the rest of this town. The strange way people spoke of her, the way she herself spoke… Against her better judgment, she agreed. "Okay… I'll be right back."

Quickly exiting the park, again moving past the barking dog, she began to backtrack her steps to the lemonade stand she had seen earlier. There was a little boy with a striped t-shirt sitting behind the crudely-written wooden sign. He sat up as she approached. "Hi! I'm Timmy! Wanna buy some lemonade?"

"Uh, no thanks… I don't have my… allowance on me." She fidgeted a little bit. 'Damn, how am I supposed to make him cry? He's a kid, I don't feel comfortable with—'

Her train of thought was interrupted when Timmy suddenly fell forward, his head smacking against the wooden surface of the stand. Some lemonade glasses jolted onto their sides and rolled off the edge, breaking as they hit the ground. Timmy started twitching and he convulsed with frequent spasms of energy.

Amata put her hand to her mouth and then ran around to help him. But then he suddenly sat up with wide eyes before violently shaking his head. He looked at her, squinted keenly and said, "…Amata? Is that you?"

It took a short moment for it to register with her. She blinked and asked, "Lloyd? Is that… you?"

"You look a little like you did when you were ten!" he said, standing up. He struggled to stand for a moment, using the table as support. "Woah… this body is weird. Haven't been ten in forever." He looked up and down the street, seeing Tranquility Lane for all it had to offer. "Wow… this place is some kinda messed up…"

She put her hands on the table, leaning close. "Lloyd? Is that really you?"

The boy Timmy, now Lloyd, nodded. "Yeah. Now, I don't know how much time we have, so let's figure out what's going on."

"No, first thing's first: How the hell're you… doing whatever you're doing? Are you… possessing Timmy's body?"

"Timmy, right, right. Well… that's kinda hard to explain. Remember how there were two pods?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, far as I could gleam from the report I read, one of them was slightly broken. It had been experiencing some mechanical issues. I guess that's the one I got into."

"So what does that mean, exactly?"

"Well… it didn't work the way it worked for you. He knew it was broken—"

"Who?" she interrupted.

"The guy. I don't know his name, the one who made us come in here. Anyway, I think he thought it would kill one of us, due to its mechanical errors. Under normal circumstances it just wouldn't work, but he made it work. And I'm pretty sure it didn't work the way he intended it to."

"Why would he want one of us dead?"

"No idea. I might even be wrong on that one. But anyway, me, I'm like… a ghost in the system now. I'm outside the hard-lined network that you're in."

"…Care to clarify?" she asked.

"Okay… think of it like this: you and all the others, my father and the ninety-three vault residents, you're hooked up directly to that giant mainframe that's generating this," he pointed all around him, "all of this around us. Your consciousness, everyone's consciousness, is being projected into this virtual world in the form of these avatars. But me… I'm somewhere else, just outside of the main system. I can't project myself directly into it, but I can highjack one of the ports and take control of someone's avatar."

"That's… that's pretty heavy, Lloyd. What's it like inside a computer?"

Timmy scratched the back of his head. "Well… Hell, it's hard to describe… But there's a lot of blue and red lines in a kind of a grid-like pattern, and giant orbs in the sky, with beams of light that transmit information, and all the computer programs have anthropomorphized human-like forms with black jumpsuits with colorful highlights in unique patterns. They, uh, ride motorcycles and throw disks around."

She paused for a moment. "Are you being serious?"

"Unfortunately. Now, you've been inside here, so—"

She interrupted again. "Okay, wait: how did you know to hijack Timmy's avatar?"

"The easiest answer I can give you is that I found your port and was monitoring your communication with other entities in the system and Timmy's was the most convenient to take control of. But listen, you've been in here longer than I, so what have you learned?"

Putting all of her questions on hold, she explained everything about her time in Tranquility Lane to him, sparing very few details. The people, the way they talked, eventually getting to Betty and the "game" she wanted Amata to play. Lloyd listened intently to every last one of her words.

"Okay. I say we play along," he suggested.

"Like what do you mean?" she asked.

"Look, I'll hop out of Timmy, you make him cry and then you talk to Betty. See what you can learn."

"What will you do?"

"I'll be poking around the system looking for ways to break it. Contact me again by finding Timmy. Keep me updated!"

Before Amata could argue, Timmy suddenly twitched on the spot, as though someone was shaking him by the shoulders, before he stopped and blinked a few times. "What just happened?" he asked.

Amata sighed. "Nothing, just…" She felt bad for this, but she finally had an idea of how to make this happen. "Your parents are, um, getting a divorce and they said it's your fault." 'Ouch.'

His eyes widened. "Wha… what? They-they are? B-b-b-but… why? Why?" he was on the cusp of crying, she could tell.

"They…" She paused and thought, 'Oh god help me.' She lied, "They know what you did and they hate it."

He began to flat-out bawl as he reached up to cup his face and rub his eyes. "But, but I promised I wouldn't wet the bed anymoo-hooo-hooo-hoooore! I don't wanna leave my mommy! No! No!" he cried as he ran off to his house, slamming the door shut behind him.

Amata felt dirty and bad for doing that. Sighing and already regretting it, she walked back to the park where Betty was still going about her business, still watering the flowers. "I did it," she said as she approached. "He cried and ran home."

Betty looked at her. "Really? How?" she asked.

Amata sighed an averted her eyes as she answered, "I… told him that his parents were getting a divorce because of him. He… he believed me."

"Very interesting…" Betty noted. Suddenly, to Amata's surprise and horror, the little girl's voice changed. While before it was sweet and innocent, now it was the voice of an elderly man with a thick German accent. "Not ze most interesting of solutions, but clever nonezeless. You're revard is ze privilege to ask of me a single qvestion."

Amata was now incredibly disturbed. "Just… who… what are you?" she asked, stammering from Betty's sudden shift of voice.

Now it was the little girl voice. "Who, me? I'm Betty."

"No! Who are you really?" Amata demanded to know.

She chuckled. Now, she spoke in the old man voice, "Vell, vell, vell, so be it. You may refer to me as Stanislaus Braun. A privilege, I assure you; not many know who I really am. In fact, none in Tranquility Lane do, but in your case, I'll make an exception."

Amata's eyes widened. The man James had mentioned in his personal tapes! "Braun? Aren't you a scientist?"

"Indeed I am, young lady. I vas ze head of Future-Tec before ze var."

"Then… then why are you… in here, like this?" Amata asked.

"Ah, too many qvestions for now." Betty, or Braun, as it were, switched back to his little girl voice. "Now, I want to play another little game, and the prize will be the answering of more questions." Back to Braun's voice. "Pay a visit to ze Rockvells. Zey're very happily married, and I'd like you to change zat. Put an end to zer marriage… and zen we'll talk some more." Betty-Braun gave another dark smile. "Run along now!" he/she urged in the little girl voice.

"And if I refuse?" Amata replied with an air of defiance.

Back to Braun's voice. "Well zen… you'll have lost vhatever usefulness you held previously. And I'll have to dispose of you."

His words gave Amata pause. She knew he could, somehow, do exactly what he meant. "Okay… I'll find them and do it."

Back to Betty's voice. "Goody! Run along now!"

Everything about this was getting stranger and stranger. To Amata, it was nothing short of bordering on madness. She now glimpsed the nightmare brewing behind the scenes of Tranquility Lane and wanted out more than ever before. 'What do I do now?' she thought as she exited the park. Her thoughts were interrupted by that barking dog. She looked over at the hound, who was vigorously pulling against its leash in an attempt to get to her.

Betty… or Braun… walked up to the dog and scolded it. "Enough barking, Doc! Enough of that! Bad doggy!" The dog stopped and whined, looking between Betty-Braun and Amata multiple times.

Amata thought it was strange, but she turned and kept going. 'Maybe I should find Lloyd… then again, I could just break those two up… and get more information…' It occurred to her that she hadn't seen a hint of James ever since entering. 'Braun knows where Lloyd's father is. Maybe I should ask him with my next question… but do I really want to separate a couple? I already got one couple engaged… I don't know if I can stomach doing the opposite. Christ, making that little boy cry was bad enough. What the hell is Betty… or Braun, that is… even getting out of this? He's sick… He must be.'

She stopped, standing next to a parked car, and came to a decision. 'I think Lloyd would like it if we figured out where his father was first.'

She found the Rockwell's home by looking at the names on the mailboxes. She knocked at the front door, and a woman promptly answered. "Oh! Why hello there dearie. What can I do for you?"

Amata looked up at the woman and swallowed. 'Here goes nothing…' "I saw your husband kissing another woman."

The woman straightened and got an estranged look in her eyes. "What? It's that Martha Simpson, isn't it! I knew it! I've seen the way she looks at him. I've had enough of Rodger's lies and bullshit! Enough!"

She slammed the door in Amata's face. She could hear yelling coming from inside shortly thereafter. 'Well… that was… easy…' she thought. 'Almost like they were waiting for that to happen. I guess they might not have had the happiest of marriages after all…' She thought about listening in closer, but then decided that for her own sake and guilty conscious, it would be better not to. As she turned from the home, she was suddenly stopped by an elderly black woman who knelt down to her and forcefully gripped both of her shoulders.

Before Amata could protest this action, the woman spoke in a strange, seemingly confused voice. "You… you don't belong here… you're not supposed to be here! It's… it's not real… none of it is! Nothing's real here! It needs to end… the suffering must end!"

Amata stopped struggling. "Finally!" she said. "Someone else who knows! Who are you?"

The woman desperately nodded. "They only call me Old Lady Dithers. They don't know what I know. We're not really here. We're not really talking. These aren't our bodies. It's all made-up, make-believe. We're sleeping… dreaming… but the dream became a nightmare… It has to end, it just has to… but we're not in charge. He is, and he doesn't want us to wake up."

"How do we stop him?" Amata asked in a hushed tone, looking up and down the street in worry, as if Betty would suddenly manifest before them or that a legion of well-dressed suburban people would swarm over them and carry them off.

"There's a house… the only house with no name on it… It's abandoned… He doesn't want us to go in there, but there's something in there, something that can end all of this. You must do this… we're suffering… it's a never-ending hell and you must help us…"

Suddenly, the woman stood up and walked away, muttering to herself. Amata watched her go. 'She knows… somehow, she knows.' She looked to the park. 'But first…'

She nearly ran to the park and back up to Braun. "It's done. I convinced his wife that he was cheating on her."

Braun chuckled, once more having his true voice unnervingly emerge from the specter of the little girl. "So, you have achieved your goal. I vas hoping for something a bit more dramatic, but persuasion appears to be your strong suit. And at least you are cooperative, unlike your fazher. I vas most disappointed vhen he refused to participate, yet still expected somezhing from me."

'My father? He thinks Lloyd and I are siblings… I guess those "eyes" of his on the outside don't have color.' "Yes… my father… I was wondering where he was. And… my brother too, please."

"Your fazher, yes, he is here and he is unharmed. He has merely been rendered unable to bozher me."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Amata asked.

He switched back to Betty's voice. "Oh dear, and now even you don't even believe me? How disappointing." Back to Braun. "I assure you, James and I talked for qvite some time before you arrived. Now, as for your brozher… he is also unavailable."

"Why?"

Braun who was Betty smiled and said, "Because zis game is one-player only, and I can't let the rules be changed. Shall ve continue before I grow bored viz you? You've used up your qvestions and now must proceed with ze game."

Amata sighed and replied, "Oh, fine, let's just get this over with. What is it _now_?"

Braun laughed. "Oh, come now! Show some enzusiasm!" Back to Betty's voice. "There are fewer rules this time. I'd like to see what you are truly capable of." She smiled, before switching once more to Braun. "I'd like you to _kill_ Mable Henderson. Please, do put some effort into it; do somezhing… creative. Beating her to death von't impress me."

Amata swallowed a little before muttering, "She won't see it coming, Braun."

Betty smiled. "Music to my ears."

Amata immediately ran to Timmy's house and knocked on the door. His mother answered, and Amata told her that she wanted to see Timmy to cheer him up. Though his mother informed her that he had locked himself in his room, she reluctantly agreed to let Amata see him. She went up and knocked on his door. Though he especially didn't want to talk to her of all people, Amata listened as there was a brief jolting noise inside.

Timmy opened the door and smiled. "Got news for me, I assume?" Lloyd asked.

"Plenty," Amata sighed as she pushed past him. "You're not going to believe the stuff that's happened to me in the last few minutes, Lloyd."

He chuckled as he locked the door and sat on the edge of the bed. "Try me."

* * *

A metal door slid open, half disappearing into the floor and half into the ceiling. Beyond it was a brightly-lit room with a few tables with various medical tools on them alongside operating tables.

"Looks like a medical bay, alright," Harkness said as he stepped inside. Lucy followed him in, putting away her gun when she saw the emptiness of the room.

"Anything useful in here?" she asked, picking up a small scalpel and noting its near-perfect condition before sliding it into her pocket.

Harkness scanned the room from one end to the other. "A few things." He approached a med case on the wall, opened it up and took out some stimpaks and Med-X. "Check that one on the wall there," he said as he indicated another medical case.

She discovered some anti-radiation medication inside. "Good call," she remarked. As she began to take it and put it into her bag, she asked, "Think Charon might've found anything useful?"

"Maybe," he replied. "We'll know when we catch up to him."

A few hallways away, the tall ghoul slowly advanced down a darkened hall towards another door at the end. Above it was a green-lit sign that read, "Overseer's Office." There was a computer connected to the wall adjacent to the door, which he discovered was locked. The computer did not respond to anything he did, though he was never much one for technology. With no explosives and no other options to get through the door, he decided to move on.

He heard a noise come from the end of the hallway he had just come down. He raised his shotgun, preparing to fire on anything that came around the corner.

He aimed as he heard something. Russ came around the corner, causing him to tense up and then relax. "Dog," he muttered. "Just the dog."

This place was making him edgy.

* * *

Lloyd and Amata warily opened up the door to the empty house. It was dark inside, with dirty floors and boarded-up windows. Some junk littered the living room; seemingly random objects like a garden gnome, a pitcher and a cinder block.

"Now what?" Amata asked as she closed the door behind them.

"Let's spread out, search the house… Maybe we'll find something useful. You check down here, I'll get the upstairs."

"Okay," she agreed. They split up.

The entire house was empty, save for some broken pieces of furniture that were few and far between. Amata turned each room inside out, looking for the smallest thing that seemed out of place, but it was almost impossible to see without a light and in the color tone the entirety of the virtual world was presented to her.

She returned to the living room and sighed. "Lloyd! There's nothing down here!"

She put her hand on top of a radio to lean on it, but when she did, it made a distinct ringing sound, like a bell. She jumped up and looked at it. Lloyd, still in Timmy's body, came down the stairs. "Did you hear a bell just now?" he asked.

Amata touched the radio again, and it rang but then a jolting, ugly noise came immediately thereafter. "Where's that sound come from?" she wondered aloud.

"Touch it again," Lloyd suggested. She did so, and now there was a clear ringing sound, with no negative noise following.

Lloyd, as an experiment, touched the nearby gnome. It made a different ringing sound before emitting the same ugly noise. "Maybe multiple things in this room need to be touched…" Amata theorized.

"In a certain order, I'm thinking…" Lloyd finished her thought.

They discovered that the radio, gnome, a glass bottle, a pitcher and cinder block all emitted bell tones when touched, even lightly. The items could also not be moved in the slightest bit, as if they were fused in place to whatever they stood on. As they experimented further, they discovered that a certain order was indeed the key: radio, pitcher, gnome, pitcher, cinder block, gnome, bottle.

After only a few minutes of trial and error, starting back on the radio whenever the incorrect noise was heard, Amata touched the bottle and they both heard a new distinct noise, one of jarring static, like a radio being turned on.

Static emissions suddenly covered one of the walls of the suburban home's interior as something began to materialize into existence. When the static cleared, a large computer with a single screen and keyboard in the center remained. The sheer bulk of the electronic device took up the entirety of the wall that had once been there.

"Woah…" Lloyd whispered; a sentiment which Amata shared. He approached it. "It's an auxiliary command terminal, right here in the program itself…" he told her as much as himself. "This is perfect."

He turned it on, discovering a number of things: commands, logs, files. Amata walked up behind him. "What will this do?" she asked. "Get us out of here?"

"Hopefully," he said. "Hang on, lemme read this…"

He opened a personal journal entry named "Toucan Lagoon." As the words scrolled onto the screen, he read them for her.

"_I've finally come to a realization that the Toucan Lagoon simulation has run its course. I'm tired of the beating sun and the ceaseless pounding of the lagoon's waves upon the shore. I no longer take pleasure in watching Simpson wither away from scurvy, or hearing Neusbaum's screams as he's devoured by the mako shark. I am, quite simply, bored. It is time to rest the simulation once again. I haven't been skiing in ages."_

"He lets people die of exposure and shark attacks?" Amata said, amazed at Braun's inhumanity. Then again, she wasn't too surprised, since he had asked her to kill a woman not too long ago.

"There's more…" Lloyd said, opening up an entry labeled "Slalom Chalet."

"_Yesterday, Dithers slipped on the chalet's icy stairs, went airborne, and managed to impale herself on the wrought-iron fence. It was spectacular! And completely and utterly random! Is there anything more sublime than that bold crimson on fresh-fallen snow? It was almost enough to make me reconsider a change of scenery, but not quite. 23 years is a long enough vacation in the Swiss Alps. I long for something more… domestic."_

Amata numbly shook her head. "He's nuts… I mean, I knew it before, but the delight he takes in the pain these people feel is just… how can a man like this exist? And why?"

"There's got to be something here that we can use against him, somehow…" Lloyd opened up another file labeled "Tranquility Lane" and also read this one aloud.

"_I have surprised myself. I find Tranquility Lane… comforting. Also distinctly American, it somehow reminds me of Kronach, the town of my childhood. There's a beautiful irony with this particular simulation as well. The residents here are naturally at home, naturally safe. When I toy with them, when their suburban illusion is suddenly broken, it's that much more satisfying. I do believe we shall all remain here in Tranquility Lane for a very long time. A very long time, indeed."_

"He's right," Amata said. "This place is like a terrible twist of irony and I've had more than enough of it. Lloyd, is there anything in there, anything at all that can help us escape?"

"One moment." He searched, and searched, and finally found something that seemed relevant. He opened it up, and began to read it. "I think I might have found it," Lloyd said with a smile. His smile suddenly faded as he concluded reading it. "But it isn't going to be pretty."

* * *

Harkness, Lucy, Charon and Russ had converged outside of a door that was locked in one of the many hallways that comprised Vault 112. Though Lucy considered herself a capable lock-picker, there was nothing she could do. "Stand back," he told them. He aimed his plasma rifle at the lock and fired, melting it. He quickly opened the door before it had a chance to cool and solidify.

It was an armory, or something akin to it. Tables presented weapons and ammunition, and lockers contained suits of armor in some and weapons in the others. "Jackpot!" Lucy said as she ran into the room. The other two followed. Charon noticed a shotgun, which he picked up to inspect.

"Good for spare parts," Harkness said. The ghoul didn't reply. The android went over to one of the lockers and opened it, discovering a suit of metal armor inside, much like the kind Jericho had worn before they parted ways with him. His scans of the other lockets revealed that there were two of them. "Say Charon, ready for an armor upgrade?" he asked the ghoul as he opened up the other locker.

Charon walked up and said, "And what of Miss West?"

"I've got _this_," she suddenly said, having opened up a different locker and taken out a vault jumpsuit and bullet-proof vest. Discarding the jumpsuit, she took off her jacket, put on the vest and then put her jacket back on. "See? Practical, and it still leaves room for style."

Harkness smirked and Charon merely blinked a few times. "Whatever suits your tastes, Miss West," Charon said. He looked at Harkness. "Let's get this armor on. It will offer us better protection."

Lucy walked up to a table that had a Chinese assault rifle on it, and as she picked it up she remarked, "This place was waiting to be cracked and pilfered."

Harkness agreed with her, but in the back of his mind he still worried about Lloyd and Amata. He hoped they were doing okay in whatever circumstances those pods put them in.

Charon walked over to another table and picked up a holodisk. It had some tape on it, upon which was written "Overseer's Room Password." He half-smiled and slid it into his pocket.

* * *

Lloyd had finished reading everything he needed to know in silence. After taking a moment to reflect on everything, he turned to Amata. "Okay. I've got it."

"You've got it?"

He nodded. "I do. I've found a way to give myself all the power that Braun has by putting myself, that is, my ghost-in-the-machine kind of thing, in the same system group that he himself resides in. Once I do, I'll be able to free you, dad and myself."

"It's that easy?" she asked.

"In a way… yes. There is a small complication with it, but I think I'll manage. The short of it is that I'll be able to free you, but not myself. I'll have to convince Braun to release me personally."

She took a moment to pick through his words. "What do you mean? Why can't you let yourself out?"

"It's difficult. It relates to the safety net that surrounds Braun. It's the reason he himself cannot leave. He sealed himself inside this program with the intent to stay here forever."

"Then how will you leave?"

"When I put myself in his access group, he won't be pleased. He'll do everything he can to stop me at every turn, I'm sure of it. Every time I try to open a door for myself, he'll close it."

"Then won't you be trapped in here forever?"

He shook his head. "No. I've got a secret weapon, something I found in the terminal. I'll use it to threaten him."

"What is it?"

"A failsafe. Something that will kill every single person in the simulation, save for Braun and I. They'll be permanently dead with no chance of Braun resurrecting them like he's done for the past two centuries."

Her eyes widened, and she said, "What? Lloyd, that's horrible!"

He looked away. "I know. That's why I hope I don't have to use it. If Braun has any amount of sense left inside him… he'll let me go."

"And if he doesn't? What if he forces you to kill every single person inside this place just to leave? What if he still doesn't let you leave afterwards?"

Lloyd looked into her eyes. Even in her childlike form, her eyes were the same and just as beautiful. He smiled. "He'll have no choice but to let me go, Amata. The system is designed to keep him alive, even in spite of the failsafe. If I kill everyone in here, he'll be alone. All alone, with nobody to torture, or talk to. Not even Braun would take that chance. Trust me, Amata… I'll be alright."

Though it pained her and confused her, she accepted his word. After all, this entire simulation seemed to make no sense but he seemed to understand it perfectly. Perhaps it was because she saw this place through different eyes than he. He saw it like a computer, and she saw it like an actual world where the impossible was still impossible. But here, if what everything Lloyd had been saying rang true, the rules of reality didn't need to apply.

She took a deep breath and said, "I trust you, Lloyd. Do it."

"I've written up a basic command that will give me full power. Once I have it, I'll be ready to get both you and dad out. Wait for me. Hopefully I won't be too long."

"Wait," she said, leaning forward to kiss him, or rather Timmy. Lloyd blinked a few times in surprise.

"While I'm… flattered, Amata, I can't actually feel anything inside of this body," he replied rather sheepishly.

"Oh," she said, blushing slightly as she looked away. "I kinda feel silly now."

"We'll save it for when we see each other in the real world," he promised.

She nodded, and waited. Lloyd pressed the enter key.

The interior of the home lit up as Amata suddenly vanished in a bright surge of light. Outside, the dog "Doc" similarly disappeared. Braun, in his Betty form still, saw this happen. He teleported just outside of the abandoned home and tore it down with his thoughts, until only the floor of the bottom level remained. The people of Tranquility Lane ran from the sight of Betty's fury.

Lloyd stood there next to the computer. Not Timmy, but Lloyd, full-grown and in a Vault 112 jumpsuit, looking exactly like this real-world self. He cracked his neck, his fingers and shook out his hair before looking down at Braun's form and saying, "Hello, _Betty_. It's nice to finally meet you."

* * *

Comparatively, the process of entering the pod was slow and painless, but the process of leaving it was quick and merciless. Amata jolted upwards, feeling as if she had been stung in a hundred different places. The pod was opening, hissing as gasses released from its sides. Amata began pulling wires out of her arms and skin, frantic to get them out. Finally, she gripped the one leading into the back of her neck and violently tore it out, causing her to scream for but a moment. She rolled out of the pod and onto her feet, though she stumbled a bit.

She felt dizzy, disoriented and, most importantly, real. It was her body she was in full control of, not some simulated avatar of a little girl.

She heard something not too far away. It sounded like a man. 'James!' she thought as she began to move as quickly as she could towards pod 4-B, still fumbling slightly, using the pods around her for support. She saw him, then, grunting as he tried to pull the wires out. He looked at her and stopped moving completely as they made eye contact.

"Amata…" he breathed, "…What are you doing here?"

She smiled. "You don't know how good it is to see you, James."

He didn't return her smile. He sighed softly, and said, "And you don't know how bad it is to see you."

* * *

"And just vhat do you zink you are doing?" Braun asked with a positively furious tone. His little girl hands were clenched and the ground beneath his feet was cracking.

"Drop the little girl guise and we'll talk for real, Braun," Lloyd replied. "That's really fucking creepy, by the way."

"No, I don't zink so," Braun said, staying the way he was. "I much razher prefer zis form."

"Whatever trips your trigger," Lloyd said, cocking an eyebrow. "We're going to talk, now."

"And just vhy should I take demands from you?"

"You can't touch me, Braun. You and I both know that we're on equal levels now."

Braun chuckled. "Oh, I zink not, little boy. You and I are on completely different levels."

Lloyd snapped his fingers. A moment later, a hurling fireball descended from the sky. The meteorite smashed into one of the homes, utterly destroying it.

Braun saw this and laughed. "Hahah! You zink zat is impressive? Child's play."

Lloyd shook his head. "I'm not going to get into a game with you, Braun. I'd like to talk with you before any unpleasantness needs to occur."

"You know… people lived zhere," Braun said with a smile.

"People that can be recreated. Their avatars were destroyed, not the people themselves."

Braun laughed once more, recreating the destroyed house with a mere thought. The brainwashed residents of Tranquility Lane made nothing of it and continued with their daily routines. "So you believe you know all ze intricacies of my verk, yes? You know nozhing."

"I know more than you think I know," Lloyd spat. "I know I can turn myself into Grognak the Barbarian whenever I feel like. I know I can have an army of dinosaur-riding ninja fighting aliens that ride around in giant, three-legged robots. If I pleased, civil war soldiers could go head-to-head with a Japanese giant lizard that breathes fire. Hell, I could destroy the entire world and recreate it in just a short time. You and I both know these things because you and I can both do these things."

Braun now spoke in his Betty voice. "Then why not do those things? Why not entertain yourself when the entire world is at your fingertips, ready to do as you command?"

"Because I'm not like you, Braun. I'm not a child playing with toys who pretends to be god. I live in the real world; you live in a fantasy."

"Don't talk down to me like I am a child, you fool. I am vastly your superior in every way."

Lloyd smirked. "And yet you refuse to come out from the guise of a mere child. If you want to be taken seriously, I suggest you start appearing serious. And, one more thing, this is annoying the shit out of me," he said as he seemingly adjusted an invisible knob in the air right before him. The color of the world went from the sepia grain to normal hues. "There. I'm really glad I can do that. How can you stand it?"

Braun then appeared in the form of an elderly man, bald on top, wearing a black suit and tie. "Very vell… here I am."

"The suit's a nice, and expected, touch from one such as yourself, if I might say so myself," Lloyd both commented and criticized.

"You've already ruined some of my fun today and are vastly becoming a bore. Vhat exactly vas your plan, hmm?"

Lloyd created a comfortable chair behind himself, which he fell back into. "My plan was for us to talk, Braun. And that's what's going to happen."

Braun scoffed. "Again you make demands. And just vhat are you going to do if I refuse, hmm?"

Lloyd smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

"Do you need help, James?" Amata asked, walking next to his pod.

"Please," he muttered. She disconnected some more wires, and grimaced when she had to remove the one in his neck. He shouted, but was alright in a moment. He got out of the pod and onto his feet, dusting his jumpsuit and lab coat off.

James turned to look at her. He seemed to be scrutinizing her in some way, silently making judgments and conclusions. His eyes were narrow, almost accusatory. "Dr. Freeman?" she asked. "Is… is everything alright?"

"No," he said quietly. "Don't mistake me, I'm glad to be out of there, but… but what are _you _doing here?"

"We… we came to find you, James."

"But why _we_? Why did you come with Lloyd?" He put his hands on her shoulders and spoke with urgency. "For godsake, you of all people weren't supposed to come out here. Nobody was. Lloyd wasn't!"

Amata softly protested, "But you left the vault… without telling Lloyd a thing. You left and… and all hell broke loose, James… everything bad happened at once and, and…" She shook her head. "Lloyd wasn't supposed to come after you? Then just what was supposed to happen? You never even told him you were leaving!"

His arms fell to his side and he sighed. "Amata… I know I didn't leave under the greatest of circumstances, but… but I had no choice. If I told Lloyd, there was a chance he'd tell… well, you. And you, conflicted between emotions and duty, may have told your father."

That made sense to her. But she still had more questions. "We've been to Project Purity." That seemed to surprise him. "We know why you left, James. But why leave your son behind? Why not take him with you? I'm sorry, I'm just trying to understand everything. We've been looking for you for a long time and we've only been able to guess."

"He was supposed to be safe down there. This place, this wasteland… it's dangerous."

Her voice grew louder. "But the very act of leaving endangered his life! The vault became dangerous! The guards came after him, he… he was forced to kill them! They killed Jonas, they beat me, my father was mad with power and…" she trailed off. "None of this should have happened, James! None of it!"

He took her words in stoic silence. "I know, Amata… I know… All I can say is that I'm sorry you had to go through that… because of me. Nothing is as it should be in this world." He tore his eyes from her. "I may have made a few wrong choices, but… but Lloyd should have stayed in the vault. And more so," he said as he looked back at her, "he shouldn't have brought you along."

"I came of my own choice, James. Everything in the vault was turned upside-down because of your leaving. Radroaches were everywhere. My father was mad with power. I couldn't stand it anymore. I left with Lloyd and we've been tracking you down ever since."

"Oh, Amata…" he sighed, looking down at her. "Don't you understand that life out here is awful? Haven't you seen what this world does to people? The mutants, the radiation, the madness? You could've lived a semblance of a normal life in the vault, with Lloyd. Even without him. You could've stayed, Amata."

"But I didn't," she said with a firm determination. "I didn't, and I'm here now. Lloyd and I are here now. You can't change that, I can't change that; nobody can. There's no point in saying that I could've stayed, because I chose not to and so here I am, James." Her lip quivered as she added, "And you know what? I don't regret leaving."

James was taken aback. Amata had changed since he had seen her last in the vault. In a few ways, she reminded him of her father. But only in a few.

"Alright," James said after a moment. "What's done is done, as you said. Where's Lloyd?"

* * *

"You vouldn't," Braun said in a venomous tone.

"Oh, I vould," Lloyd said, mocking the man's accent. He looked over at the keyboard, where the failsafe activation program was ready to be activated with the press of a key. "You let me out, Braun, or I'll press it."

"I say again, you vouldn't. You vould not condemn zese people to death just to make a point. You don't have ze guts."

Lloyd grew more authoritative. "Don't I? I've killed before, Braun. You have no idea what the outside world is like. But that's not the point: I'm making you an offer here. You can keep these people in exchange for simply letting me go."

Braun smirked. "You zink you can bluff your way past me, little boy? If you press zat button, all you'll be doing is sealing your own fate inside here."

Lloyd sighed. "Braun, I know you like games, but here's the deal: I don't. Not when they keep me from getting anything done. But you? You don't want to be alone in here, that's why you think you still win if I press that button. But I won't play any games with you, Braun. I'd tear down everything you'd create as soon as it came into virtual being. I would not speak with you, I would not acknowledge you. You know it's easier to destroy things in this world than it is to make them.

"You'd grow frustrated, because you're used to having complete control. And eventually, you'd cave and let me out, just to gain some kind of fraction of the power you once had. But you know just as well as I that you wouldn't enjoy torturing a machine. I read it in your personal log. I know everything about you, Braun, and I must say it's rather simplistic. Now, you can let me go, or I can push the button and then you'd let me go. The difference is one lasts longer and ends with you being alone.

"So enough bullshit, Braun. I'm prepared to kill everyone. To me, they're already dead, living in purgatory, if you will. I already read the report detailing the fact that they've permanently adapted to the pods, making it impossible to free them, thus eliminating any chance of you thinking I think I can save them. I've gone over it in my head, and sure, it's a hard choice, but it's a choice I'm willing to make and live with. And speaking of choices, what will it be, Braun?"

Braun listened to every word of Lloyd's impressive monologue. When he finished, he was clearly frustrated, nearly beyond the point of rationality. "You insult me…" he muttered. "You mock me, you zink I vill just sit back and take zis? I am Stanislaus Braun! I am a genius! You cannot speak to me so!"

"Sorry to hear you say that," Lloyd said, reaching for the button.

"No, wait!" Braun cried out. "Stop!"

Lloyd's finger hovered over the enter key. "Yes?"

Braun's lip trembled and his fingers twitched. "Damn you," he said. He waved his hand and created a door where the front of the torn-down house used to be. Lloyd smiled as he walked over to it, brushing past Braun.

"It was a… pleasure… to meet you, Braun," Lloyd said, grabbing hold of the handle. "Oh! One more thing," he said, stopping as he opening it. Beyond the door was a blank, white void.

Braun turned and looked at him. "Vhat is it?" he spat.

"You should've been nicer to the old lady." Lloyd vanished behind the closed door, disconnecting himself from the virtual world.

Braun blinked a few times before he turned around, seeing Old Lady Dithers press the failsafe key. He shouted in rage and tried to tear her apart with his mind, but found that he could not.

Helicopters were landing in the background, and Chinese commandos were disembarking in what was once supposed to be a simulation of a Chinese invasion. But the program had a terrible side-effect: anyone killed by the commandos would die in real life as well. Except for Braun, due to the safety measures he had personally put into the system. He would be alone, now, for all eternity. He heard their guns firing, the screams of the many residents of Tranquility Lane, and knew that he could do nothing to stop it.

Old Lady Dithers smiled and held her arms to the sky, welcoming death as the Chinese commandos pegged her with automatic assault rifles.

Once the failsafe had run its course, Braun had full control again. He pounded the ground, creating a massive earthquake. The world tore down around him, until he was kneeling upon a small chunk of floating earth in a white void. He cursed Lloyd's name, over and over again, damning the teen to the worst fate he could imagine. Upon Lloyd's face in his memory he piled all the hate and malice he could muster, swearing revenge but knowing he could never do anything that would amount to even a fraction of the of the pain he wished to inflict on the youth, his love and his father. The three of them, but Lloyd especially, had taken everything from him, everything that he truly valued, which turned out to be the one thing he couldn't replace or recreate: humanity.

Braun wept, knowing that they weren't even his real tears.

* * *

James and Amata ran over to Lloyd's pod when they heard it opening. They worked quickly to help him disconnect himself and stand on his feet. As soon as they did so, Lloyd looked at his father, now standing before him in the flesh, alive and well.

Everything that Lloyd and Amata had done had lead up to this moment. Every step, every action, every gunfight, every experience shared. Words couldn't come to his mouth, so happy was he that tears began to appear in his eyes. He smiled and breathed an air of immense relief and satisfaction as he threw his arms around his father for a powerful hug, which the elder Freeman returned. Lloyd outright buried his face in the man's shoulder, breathing heavily. Everything he had just done in the simulation all fell behind him as he lost himself in the moment. Everything seemed to stand still as one thought repeated over and over in his mind. 'I found you. I found you. I found you. I found you.'

Amata smiled and brought her hands to her face. She too was swept up in the emotion of the moment. She thought about hugging the both of them, but decided it was more their moment. At the other end of the room, Charon, Harkness, Lucy and Russ entered, quickly noticing them. They ran towards them, seeing Lloyd and James embrace.

For Lloyd, it was as if a great journey had ended. But deep inside, he knew that was a false sentiment. Only the first part of it had come to an end. The rest of it had yet to unfold.

But now, with his love, his father and his friends, he knew was ready to face it head on.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	17. The Path to Purity

A small, spherical robot floated but a few inches above the ground, held in place by its thrusters. Its antennae twitched slightly as it sent and received transmissions from its home base. The eyebot waited outside of Smith Casey's Garage, patiently waiting for the emergence of the group it had been tailing. It was partially obscured by a patch of a dry, thorny bush in which it hid.

However, some predators are too clever for such disguises. A creature, large and reptilian, with wicked claws and white eyes, snuck up behind the eyebot and destroyed it with one swipe of its hand, slicing it into pieces which fell to the dusty ground below. Disappointed that the prey had no meat to it, the deathclaw moved north, hearing a call from one of its kin. It would not be here when those who had entered the garage would leave.

Much, much farther to the north, however, a live feed on a computer screen was cut. An enclave scientist set down his coffee, and reported it immediately to Colonel Augustus Autumn, who was not pleased with this.

He turned around in his chair once the man had left his office. He closed his eyes and rubbed the sides of his head, trying to breathe easier. 'Damn,' he thought to himself. His hands, now resting on the arms of the chair, tightened their grip.

"Send another eyebot to that location," he ordered over the intercom.

"The nearest eyebot unit is about an hour out, sir," the man reported.

"Understood. Proceed with my orders," Autumn said firmly. The man gave him an affirmative and then the colonel turned off the intercom. Sitting back in his chair, he turned and looked at his screen, seeing images of Lloyd, Amata and James. He was positive that the wayward son had located his father within that garage.

He had been a patient man, so far. He intended to continue to be patient until the perfect moment presented itself.

* * *

Deep within the halls of Vault 112, near the central mainframe of its atrium, a reunion was taking place.

"It's so damn good to see you, dad," Lloyd said as he pulled away from the embrace he had just given his father. James' hands still rested on Lloyd's shoulders as the man looked at his son up and down.

He smiled. "Lloyd... you look so much more than what you were when... when I left."

"The wasteland has a habit of doing that to people, I imagine," Lloyd said as he smirked. "You look the same. Little rough around the edges, though."

James chuckled. "The wasteland has a habit of doing that to people."

Amata stood close by, her arms crossed and a smile gracing her lips. The merriment Lloyd had displayed upon seeing his father standing before him had been moving. Though now, Lloyd's smile began to fade. Nearby, the travelling companions of the Wandering Pair stood, listening to their conversation, but Harkness was also busy scanning the pods around them, discovering that they now contained dead people. 'Maybe Lloyd or Amata will talk about what happened in there, but later,' he thought to himself.

"Dad..." he began, "...there's some things we need to talk about."

James' arms slowly fell to his sides, and he took a deep breath through his nose. "Yes... I suppose there are, aren't there? But first, I'd like to ask you a question before you ask all of yours."

"Of course, dad," Lloyd replied.

"I want you to answer honestly, Lloyd. You left Vault 101. You brought Amata with you. You've followed me across the wastes, and there's no chance you can ever go back to the vault. With everything you've done, do you regret it?"

Lloyd considered the words, thinking heavily on it for a moment, before giving his answer. "I don't think so, no."

James seemed to accept the answer. "Well, good, because there's no changing what's happened. Amata's explained a few things to me, an abridged overview of the places you've been to while you were following in my footsteps. She mentioned Project Purity. You've been there, seen what it is. You must know what it represents."

"We've been, and talked to Dr. Li, too. I've read some of your notes, thought about it myself... It's a purifier."

"A purifier that, when complete, will be able to purify the entire tidal basin in a matter of months. It's why I left the vault, Lloyd... why I left you."

Lloyd crossed his arms. "Why didn't you ever tell me you weren't born in the vault? That I wasn't?"

"You learned about that, I see... The vault was safe, Lloyd. I brought us there after your mother died."

Lloyd averted his eyes and scratched the back of his head a little. His tone grew slightly accusatory as he said, "Well… on that topic... Is there anything you wanted to tell me about her, now that the truth is out?"

James' eyes softened. "Lloyd, I never lied to you about your mother. Not once." He looked away and sighed, gaining a longing, reflective stare in his eyes. "If only you knew how much our work meant to her, Lloyd... she was so eager to help the people of the wastes, to meet you... She and I had big things planned for the future... for you."

Some of Lloyd's accusatory bluster faded. "I..." he let out a low sigh. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you weren't honest about her."

Lloyd then looked over at Charon, Harkness, Lucy and Russ, noticing that the ghoul and the android now wore new metal armor. "Dad, these are our friends," Lloyd began, first pointing at Russ and saying, "That's Russ, Charon, Harkness and Lucy," he introduced them in that order.

Russ sniffed the air towards James, wagging his tail. Charon walked up to the man, stopping a few feet away. "You are Lloyd's father?" he asked. James nodded, slightly intimidated by the tall ghoul. "I would like to say that it is an honor to meet you." Charon gave a silent bow of his head.

Though James had not expected the behavior from the tall ghoul, he replied, "It's an honor to be met."

"Your son saved my life," Harkness told James. "He and his girl are two of a kind."

"They sure tend to make life a little more interesting," Lucy commented.

James was about to speak when he felt a slight scratch at his leg. Looking down, he saw his son's canine friend looking up at him with his blue and brown eyes. James couldn't help but lean down and pet the dog, scratching behind his ears as Amata and Lloyd looked on and smiled.

"It's nice to meet you all, truly," James said as he looked up. Once more, his gaze travelled to Lloyd. "But we need to get going, to Rivet City."

"What?" Lloyd looked at his father quizzically. "Rivet City? Why?"

"I need to get to Dr. Li as soon as possible and explain to her what I've learned. Braun may have been a madman, but his work holds the key to making Project Purity finally function, after all these years. But I need the help of Dr. Li and her team. And you of course, Lloyd," he explained.

"Braun's work? You mean these pods?" Lloyd asked confusedly.

"No, the Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Braun designed them, and a number of them were issued to vaults across America. They were designed to assist the vault populations in repopulating the earth. In essence, they are a powerful terraforming module, used to revitalize the life of the area in which they are used. With it, we'll have the final missing piece for Project Purity. But I need to convince Madison, first."

James began moving towards the exit. "Dad!" Lloyd called out. James stopped.

"What?"

Lloyd simply stood there, holding out his hands. "I... I guess we'll talk later," he shrugged and said. "We need to get our armor back on, can you give us a minute?"

James nodded. "Alright. Don't take too long, I've had enough of this damned vault to last me a lifetime."

* * *

Lloyd and Amata changed in relative silence in the hall where they had left their gear. Finally, the silence was broken by Amata.

"It's never a dull moment, is it?" she asked. "We find your father, but then it's off again to someplace else."

"I still have questions for him," Lloyd said. "We'll finally get a chance to talk once we get to Project Purity. And then... then we settle into our new lives."

Amata, having just slipped on a boot, paused upon hearing his words. "Hey, yeah, that's tight... Now that we've found James, we won't have to move around as much. He's the entire reason we've done so much traveling." She stood up and cocked her head a little. "What else do you think this'll mean?"

"We'll get a chance to relax, maybe kick the shoes off of our feet and... I guess just live our lives," he pondered aloud. He laughed softly, before saying, "Maybe we'll settle down, get a nice little home by the river, and hunt radscorpions on the weekend."

Amata laughed with him, and took his hands in hers. "Whatever ends up happening, Lloyd, wherever we end up now, at least we'll have each other."

They were about to share a kiss when James appeared at the end of the hallway they were standing in. He cleared his throat to get their attention, and they quickly turned and separated not unlike a child with his hand caught in a cookie jar.

"Are you two ready to leave?" he asked.

They looked at each other, seeing that all they had to put on was their backpacks. "Yeah," Amata called down to him. "We're all good here."

As they finished their preparations for leaving, they walked past James. Amata averted her face away from him, most likely due to embarrassment, Lloyd merely cocked an eyebrow at his father. James gave his son what could best be described as a knowing smile.

"You coming?" Lloyd asked sarcastically as he passed his father.

James chuckled softly to himself. "I was just thinking," James said as he caught up to walk alongside Lloyd, "that this will be our last time together in a vault."

Lloyd thought for a short moment, before agreeing. "Hey, yeah, I suppose it will be. This vault isn't as homey as 101, though."

James nodded, though inwardly he didn't feel the same. 'All of these places feel the same,' he thought. 'All of them.'

* * *

They departed Vault 112 and Smith Casey's garage above it, heading southeast. When asked, James said that heading directly to Rivet City would be the fastest route. Charon pointed out that the path would take them through lots of wild terrain, as well as raider and super mutant territory. Lloyd suggested taking the same route to Rivet City that they had in leaving it, heading to Megaton, then walking alongside the Potomac until they reached their destination. James maintained that it was important to get there as soon as possible.

"Now hold on," Lloyd said, holding James back from walking. "Now, I know it's important, dad, and that time is a factor, but do we really need to think about this. Fast and dangerous, or slow and steady?"

"We're heavily armed and armored, enough to fight off any threats," James countered. He checked his Pip-Boy. "Now, I've taken the course before. If we continue onwards without stopping, we'll reach Rivet City by nightfall, enough time to talk to Li."

"But how many raiders, super mutants, yao guai and other threats will we face?" Charon raised the question.

Harkness spoke up. "I hate to say this, but statistically, the level of danger is only slightly lesser along the slower route. Though it's safer, as we've traveled it before, both of them still pass through dangerous terrain. In fact, heading directly southeast will at least take us near the Citadel, where Brotherhood patrols are frequent."

"We could restock back up at Megaton," Lucy suggested.

"I think we have enough supplies since Evergreen Mills," Amata said, and everyone generally agreed on that.

"We can't stand here all day deciding," James insisted. "We must move!"

"What do you think, Lloyd?" Amata asked.

They all ended up looking at him, who looked at his father. He closed his eyes and considered the options.

"We're strong and smart enough to survive new places in the wastes," he told them. "We'll take the faster road."

James breathed a very short sigh of relief. "So be it," he said, "We must hurry."

With no more discussion on the matter, they followed James southeast. He led the way, keeping a very good pace, even given his age. Though he certainly wasn't amazingly old, his hair and beard didn't lack in grey hairs. Lloyd, Russ and Harkness kept up right behind him by a few feet, with Amata and Lucy side-by-side behind them, and Charon bringing up the rear, his eyes carefully and constantly scanning the horizon in search of danger.

Initially, they encountered very little. A pack of molerats was driven off with a frag grenade. Two large radscorpions and a lone yao guai, standard wasteland dangers both, were easily handled with precise concentrated group fire.

As they shot down the mutated bear, Lloyd could hear James mutter, "Traveling the wastes, fighting mutants... Christ, I'm too old for this."

Lloyd clasped his father's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, age hasn't caught you yet, dad."

"Don't remind me that it will," the man replied.

Lloyd cracked a smile. Ever since his brief conversation with Amata in Vault 112 before they had left, he had a distinct feeling of elation. Now, travelling with his father by his side, he felt better than he had in what felt like a long, long time.

As they continued southeast, a large tower could be seen in the southern distance. Standing tall and high above the multitude of destroyed buildings, this place was clearly in a state of working condition. A large hole in its backside had been patched up, and the perimeter all around its base was blocked off by a large, stone wall that was obviously of human design. Lloyd couldn't help but look at it as they moved.

"That's Tenpenny Tower," Harkness said, following Lloyd's gaze.

'Tenpenny Tower...' Lloyd remembered that place. He keenly remembered its connection to Mr. Burke, Talon Company and others who wanted himself and Amata dead. "Let's move through this place quickly," he advised. He looked at Amata, who shared his feelings on the matter.

They were walking towards a building, or more specifically, the parking lot in front of the building. It looked like some kind of business office or similar pre-war structure. As they neared, they saw a few robots. Usually, robots in the wastes were alone and rogue, attacking biological creatures on sight due to a number of malfunctions. However, there were various models here, and a man was among them. He looked like a trader.

"No harm," the man called out. They held up their hands as they approached to show that they meant none. "Howdy, strangers," he said to them. He was a little elderly, and he wore a green coat with various items strapped to it. He seemed like a trader or merchant.

"No danger here. Let's keep going," James advised.

"Wanna buy a robot?" the man asked. Lloyd paused.

"Lloyd?" Amata asked, realizing he had halted. James looked back.

"You selling?" the teen asked, approaching the man.

"I got one model for sale. The rest are a bit personal. That one," he said, pointing to a green, floating robot not too far away. It looked like a Mr. Handy unit, only a bit more suited for combat. Its thruster kept its spherical body in the air, and its three mechanical arms ended in a plasma gun, a flamethrower and a gripping claw. Its three eyes, each at the end of a metal stalk, scanned the area constantly. "That's a real army sergeant, there. At least, programmed to be," the man explained. "Sergeant RL-3, combat ready and tough as nails."

"How much?" Lloyd asked.

"We don't have time to buy robots, Lloyd," James approached and said.

"Well just hang on a second," his son replied. "This is the kind of thing that could help us."

James shook his head, not willing to argue the point. "Just hurry up, then," he insisted.

"Two-thousand caps, and, well..." the man trailed off. "There is a bit of a special condition to buying him."

"Which is?"

"Well, he's got an interesting personality. That is, a personality chip that is unique. A bit unstable really, which makes him a hard sale. I've tried to sell him in the past, but he has to choose his buyer."

"Choose his buyer?" Lloyd repeated. "Well... what does he think about me?"

The robot suddenly flew over to Lloyd, which startled the rest of them. Charon nearly pulled out his shotgun.

One of RL-3's eyes extended, stopping inches away from his face. "Boy," he spoke, and his voice was very rough and masculine, just like that of a drill sergeant, "I wouldn't get bought by you if it was World War Four! You're too damn skinny, and your hair is ugly as all hell!"

Lloyd's left brow shot up and he wore a confused expression. "I'm... sorry?"

"Well you should be, boy! With that dumb look on your face, it's a wonder you ever got to serve with any military unit! You look like you crawled outta the damn ground!"

"M-military unit?"

RL-3's body shook, as though it were disgusted. "I've never heard of any Reilly's Rangers, but if they recruited you and that sissy over there, they must be the laughing stock of the US Army! Now drop and give me twenty you runt!"

Lloyd held up his hands and backed away. "Alright, alright, you don't like me. That's fine, because I don't know how well we'd get along."

"You best run off now, boy! Head back home to Mommy and Daddy and come back when you're ready for the true power of the American military!"

Lloyd walked up to the others. "Let's just go," he told them.

"A nice waste of time," James muttered.

"But interesting," Lucy added. "Most robots don't shout."

"That _was _pretty funny seeing that robot call you names," Amata said, snickering a little.

"He called you sissy," Lloyd pointed out.

She smiled. "Better than being called a runt."

"Whatever," he grumbled.

They passed a small community of mostly intact suburban houses with families living within them named Andale, but did not stop to converse. They reached the outer edges of the D.C. ruins, infrequently encountering small pockets of raiders and stopping only briefly to collect from them useful items. As they moved further into the city, walking down a large road, the raider parties got larger, and eventually they had to move through a camp of them. They had commandeered a defensive turret, which gave them some trouble, but due to their numbers, they were able to flank it and destroy it, as well as any survivors of the camp.

James was considerably impressed with the skill that Lloyd and his companions displayed in combat. While not a well-trained unit, they effectively complemented each other's skills and worked together to eliminate threats. Perhaps even more so, he was impressed that Lloyd and Amata both commanded them and gave orders that they followed. He watched, fascinated, as Lloyd went through a process of sending everyone out to scavenge the camp completely. While he had already accepted that his son was going to stay out here with him, he was still surprised by his son's adaptation to the necessities wasteland life brought.

Picking up their feet quickly after the battle, they continued and were ambushed by a group of super mutants. In the battle, Lucy's left arm was shot when a large super mutant, armored with loose bands of sheet metal, let loose in their direction with a powerful minigun. The super mutant, standing atop a bus, laughed as the group scrambled under his storm of bullets while his allies moved to attack.

Harkness quickly shielded Lucy, who clenched her eyes in pain as she gripped the bleeding wound. All around them, their allies and the super mutants battled. Gingerly, he cupped her face. "Lucy!" he said in a firm, non-panicked tone. "Lucy, it'll be alright," he soothed her. Though she was still hurt, she managed to calm down and breathe a little easier when she heard Harkness' voice.

A super mutant jumped over the concrete slab they were taking cover behind. "Haha! Found you!" it screamed. A moment later it gurgled as its face was covered with a blast of super-heated green plasma from Harkness' plasma rifle. The super mutant fell back, its head mostly reduced to gelatin, as the android continued to help her relax and breathe. He hadn't spared the super mutant more than a single glance.

Amata pulled the pin from a grenade with her teeth, before throwing it over her cover. It landed underneath the bus upon which the minigun-wielding super mutant stood. The grenade exploded, causing the bus to shift slightly, causing the mutant to lose his balance. With the hail of bullets ceased, they were able to more capably fight back. Intending to finish the super mutant gunner off, Lloyd leapt out from cover only to be surprised by a super mutant with a sledgehammer.

But not surprised enough. The super mutant roared in anger as its sidelong swipe with the hammer missed. Lloyd, having ducked underneath it, aimed the laser rifle he had received from Harkness up at its stomach, letting loose with nine red searing laser beams at point-blank range.

The super mutant dropped the hammer to its side as it fell to its knees, wide-eyed and grunting in pain as it held its burnt stomach. Lloyd's nostrils were filled with the distinct smell of cooked super mutant. The super mutant looked at him now with a mixture of confusion and awe, before Russ tackled the large green man to the ground and quickly finished it off. Lloyd let out a tense breath.

Charon, having circled wide behind the bus, was the one to finish off the minigun-wielder. Lloyd picked himself up and dusted himself off, ready with a quip at the ghoul's expense (something along the lines of stealing Lloyd's kill) before he realized Lucy had been injured. He quickly jogged over to the spot where Harkness held her and was exerting pressure on the wound with a shred of torn clothing. Russ, who plodded over, sat beside the girl and gingerly licked her hand.

"She's alright," Harkness said with a smile. "The wound isn't terrible. We can patch it up more in a safer location. Keeping her calm was important."

Lucy blinked a few times before saying, "Anybody got a stimpak?"

Lloyd tossed her one as Amata, James and Charon approached, each looking on with concern. "Can you walk?" Amata asked.

Lucy nodded and Harkness helped her to her feet. James walked over and agreed with Harkness' assessment of her condition. "Just keep pressure on it," he advised.

Lucy took off her headband, quickly wrapping it tightly around her wounded arm. Once done, she fixed the group with a smile and said, "I've taken worse. Shall we?"

As they picked up moving again, Lloyd noted that she and Harkness shared a brief hug. As before, they continued to follow the road, getting closer and closer to the D.C. ruins. Their path brought them past many interesting buildings, such as a large library and a Nuka-Cola bottling plant to name two, which Lloyd would have liked to explore, had he the time.

Their trek eventually brought them to the Citadel, which Lloyd and Amata had only heard of. Here was the headquarters of the eastern Brotherhood of Steel. It was a massive building, imposing and well-supported with post-war repair patchwork. They could see Brotherhood soldiers walking along the border of its roof, and there were small metal platforms that extended outwards from it for snipers. There were some electric turrets at the corners of the pentagonal structure, and its perimeter was constantly patrolled by small groups of Brotherhood knights in power armor and sentry robots; impressive machines with three mechanical legs, each ending in a spherical tire, and powerful weapons at the ends of its two arms.

"Think they're looking at us?" Amata wondered aloud.

"There's no reason to think about it," Charon answered. "They are. They'll watch a molerat every second it wanders through their territory."

"Impressive building... what was it before the war?" Lloyd asked.

"It was called the Pentagon," James answered, stepping over a rock. "A place of government affairs and bureaucracy."

"Headquarters of the Department of Defense," Harkness half-added and half-corrected.

"Doesn't matter now," James said. "It's the Brotherhood's base, now."

"Ever been inside?" Lloyd asked no one in particular.

"No," James said. "They rarely let non-Brotherhood members in."

They passed along its side, until they reached its main entrance. A massive slab of metal, lifted by a crane via steel rope, served as its gate. A few Brotherhood members stood guard, alongside another sentry bot, both of whom watched them carefully. Their party did not bother the guards.

They crossed a bridge, and in the distance, they could see the Jefferson Memorial, which now housed Project Purity. Suddenly, as Lloyd laid eyes on the building, he was beset by a sudden memory. He stopped in his tracks, halfway across the bridge, and said, "Oh, wow! How'd I forget?" he laughed a little.

"Forget what?" James asked, turning to look at his son. The others did as well.

"There's a super mutant in the memorial right now," Lloyd said. "Uncle Leo is his name."

"What? Well, we'll kill him like other super mutants," James replied, not knowing the significance of the mutant.

"No, no, no," Lloyd said, waving his hands and approaching his father. "Uncle Leo is a good super mutant. Benevolent. Kind. Completely unlike any of the others."

"It's true," Amata took up explaining. "I can't believe I forgot about him up until this point, too," she said as she shook her head. "We've met him twice. On the second time, we told him to go to Project Purity, where it would be safe."

"You sent a super mutant inside?" James asked, insinuating that that was ridiculous. "Do you have any idea what kind of damage those brutes can do?"

Lloyd did his best to remain calm and explain that Uncle Leo wouldn't harm a bloatfly. Amata and Harkness put in a few things, and James either could not argue against their words or simply did not want to spend more time on it. "If it was your decision, it was your decision, then," he said simply and with a note of finality. "Let's just go."

"He's a nice guy, really," Lloyd said as he caught up to James. "You just gotta get to know him. You know, get past the green skin."

Once they had crossed the bridge, James told them that he would go to Rivet City. He advised Lloyd and the others to go ahead to Project Purity and ensure that it was cleared of danger, save for Uncle Leo. Lloyd was almost about to explain the good nature of the mutant all over again, but James stopped him before he could.

"We'll come with you, James," Harkness said, stepping next to Lucy. The bandage around her arm had grown quite red. "I've got a favor to pull with Dr. Preston that'll get Lucy fixed up nicely."

"We'll go on ahead, then," Lloyd agreed. He looked at his father again and said, "We'll see you soon, dad."

James gave a brief wave and they separated. Charon, Russ, Amata and Lloyd headed towards the memorial while Lucy, Harkness and James began to walk towards Rivet City.

Amata looked up at the sky, noting its deep red color. The sun was starting to set in the distance. "Nighttime soon," she commented.

Moving across the riverbank and scaling the walkway that circled half the building, they entered the memorial the same way they had before, through the gift shop. Finding it to be dark inside, Lloyd and Amata turned on their Pip-Boy's light feature and the four of them entered.

"Not too different from before," Lloyd noted, taking out his magnum just in case. He thought about calling out for Uncle Leo, but decided against it.

"Hope we don't startle him," Amata said.

"We shouldn't," Charon replied, "he's part of a species known for its aggressive nature. He is most likely used to danger and expects it."

The upper floor proved to be bare and clear of life. The chamber that contained the massive purifier was empty, so they headed downstairs. Large pipes pumped water into pools, and at the edge of those pools is where they discovered Uncle Leo. The shirtless, green-skinned man was sitting by the water, in what could be described as a contemplative state of meditation.

"Leo," Lloyd said, just loud enough to get the super mutant's attention. The large figure turned his head as best he could, given his large neck.

"Little brother... little sister..." Leo roughly grunted, though there seemed to be some happiness in it. "I was wondering... when you would come... back here."

They approached him. Russ was wagging his tail a bit and Uncle Leo took extreme care to pet the hound with his large hand. The canine licked his palm in response.

"How have things been since last we met?" Lloyd asked, sitting down in a cross-legged pose much like Leo himself. Amata did the same, and Charon did not.

"I will check the rest of the basement level," the ghoul reported.

"There's nothing... here but me," Leo said to the ghoul.

"Check anyway, Charon," Lloyd smiled and said. "You were never much for conversation, anyway."

The ghoul nodded, not insulted, and moved to patrol the area.

"So, Uncle Leo," Amata began, "how have things been?" she repeated Lloyd's question.

"Good... good... Mostly uneventful, but... things have been good... quiet. I like sitting here... listening to the water. I did this... when not cleaning..."

"You made mention of that, last time," Lloyd pointed out. "What have you cleaned, exactly?"

Uncle Leo straightened a bit, as if he had to take a moment to recall. "This place... was dusty. Things lie about still... I didn't move anything... but I did pick things up... rocks and rubble... what I thought was garbage… I didn't move important-looking things."

They talked for a short while, learning about Uncle Leo's activity during their absence. He told them that he had been taking care of the place, for he knew that they would come back and would be sorely disappointed to see things broken or disorderly. His intent was to make sure things looked nice and that nobody could trip on a wayward cement block, say.

When Leo asked them of their activities, they told him about finding Lloyd's father, among other details, such as Jericho, Vault 112 and Tranquility Lane. Though Leo couldn't quite comprehend the "virtual world" they spoke of, he was glad that Lloyd and James had been reunited, as the youth did seem a bit happier now. Lloyd spoke with a brighter and more hopeful tone.

Eventually, about an hour sped by and James came down to the basement level and discovered them. "Lloyd," he got his son's attention. The three of them stood up, with Uncle Leo towering over the other two while Russ merely sat and wagged his tail. James looked up at the mutant with a curious, yet suspicious, gaze.

"It is... a pleasure to meet you," Uncle Leo said to the man.

James merely nodded, as he was rather estranged by the presence of the well-mannered mutant. He tore his sight from Leo and looked at Lloyd and Amata. "I'm back from Rivet City," he announced, "and Madison and her team will be coming in the morning."

"How's Lucy? Where are she and Harkness?" Amata asked.

"Staying in Rivet City for the night as well," he answered. He crossed his arms and walked around the room a bit, looking it over. "Place looks cleaner," he muttered.

"That was Leo," Lloyd told his father as he walked up to him. "He did a good job cleaning up the place."

"Indeed." James turned to Lloyd, and there was a look in his eyes that Lloyd found odd. He spoke to his son, "We have till morning, Lloyd. I think that now we can have a chance to… talk about a few things."

Lloyd straightened. "We? Just us?" he asked, casting a sidelong glance at Amata.

"Preferably." James now looked at her. "Is that alright, Amata?"

She stood still, her eyes darting between the two of them. "Yeah... sure. I think you guys need to talk anyway. I'll be out here if you need me."

James merely looked back to Lloyd and titled his head in the direction of a hallway, indicating him to follow. He led Lloyd down the stairs to the room where he and Amata had stayed in that night they had first discovered Project Purity. After closing the door behind them, James sat on the single bed, running his fingers over his bearded face in exhaustion.

"Tired?" Lloyd asked.

"More than you know," James groggily replied. He looked up at Lloyd as the teen removed his helmet and goggles, setting them aside before taking off some more of his gear. James watched in silence, and when Lloyd was done and leaning against the metal wall, he began with a simple, "So."

"So," Lloyd repeated, cocking an eyebrow. He let the word hang in the air, waiting for James to bite with conversation, or explanation, or anything.

James was silent again, as words failed him at that moment. He wasn't exactly sure where to begin. "You were born in this building, you know," he said.

"I had a hunch," Lloyd replied. "A room upstairs, right?"

James nodded. "That's where Catherine died."

Lloyd scratched the back of his neck. A moment of awkward silence ensued. "I listened to a recording of her," Lloyd mentioned. James looked slightly surprised. "It was among your other personal logs that you left here."

His father's eyes glazed over a bit and they drifted to the floor. "So you know her voice. That's good... at least there's that." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm glad you have that, then. Keep it with you, it is... precious."

"I will," Lloyd promised. "Where did you and her meet? I mean, really meet?"

"West some ways," James answered as he rubbed his hands together. "She was a scientist working for a group in the wasteland that helped people and I was a young man fresh on my feet and ready to see the world. I was more… naïve, back then. I joined the group and met your mother. We thought…" he chuckled a bit before continuing, "we thought we were going to change the world."

"Where were you born?" Lloyd asked.

"A small town. Goodsprings, it's called. It's in Nevada."

"That's… a little bit more than 'west some ways,' don't you think?" Lloyd pointed out, surprised at the distance. "What was the name of the group you joined?"

"The Followers of the Apocalypse," James answered. "They're scientists, mostly. Teachers, surgeons and humanitarians. I learned a lot from them."

"So why move?"

"We wanted to go somewhere different. We heard rumors, small talk of a… hellish land in the east, where people suffered and the bombs had been much more brutal. She and I, your mother that is, had both worked on similar projects, formed similar ideas. It's from that where Project Purity was born. But that's only half of it, really. The actual project only formed when we reached the Capital Wasteland."

"So... you and Catherine... mom..." he corrected, "...you two traveled?"

"We did," he nodded.

"So you and she were a pair that wandered, then?" Lloyd smiled at his own little joke. James didn't catch on.

"Yes. That's what I said."

Lloyd chuckled. "Alright, go on."

"We came here, we saw the disparity and pain the people of this wasteland suffered, and decided to take action. But... well, things fell apart."

"Because of me."

"Because of a few different things," James insisted. "But... but now we have a chance to finish what we started so long ago. Rebuild... and try not to think about what could have been."

Lloyd's lips pursed slightly as he asked, "Could have been?"

James closed his eyes. "Catherine… not dying. The purifier maybe working before nineteen years came and went. The people that it might have saved."

Catching on, Lloyd agreed, "Yeah... Things not to dwell on. But..." he trailed off, before finding the right words. "You brought me across the wasteland to Vault 101. How many people were in on the secret? You know, of us not actually being born there."

"Most of the adults," James admitted. "The Overseer knew I could help people, so he made sure it was hush-hush. He paid for the secrecy when necessary with ration coupons. Afterwards, at a conclave of which I was a part of, we made the choice to close the door. The Overseer sealed us away from the wastes and the wastes away from us. We began to preach to the children that nobody ever leaves, that you are born in the vault and were destined to die in the vault."

"You were okay with this?"

"No... Not exactly. But it worked for what I needed."

"Which was, precisely?"

"Your safety," James said, meeting Lloyd's gaze. "I knew the Overseer was paranoid of danger, of threats from the outside, and wouldn't open the doors again voluntarily. Though I have very little like for the man, I knew he would play a part in keeping you, and by extension, everyone else, safe from the dangers outside. It did give me some trouble when it came time for me to leave, though."

"You should've told me," Lloyd replied.

"I couldn't bring you with me. I just couldn't."

"You should've known I'd come after you."

"I thought about that. I assumed the guards would suppress you, and I hoped that they wouldn't hurt you too much. I didn't think the Overseer would have you killed. Questioned, certainly, but not killed."

"I guess you underestimated me," Lloyd said, though not with pride. "Or maybe, you forgot about something."

James' eyes narrowed. "And just what do you mean by that, exactly?"

Lloyd shook his head. "I don't know where it comes from, but I know you know. I've thought about it a lot. Every time I've been shot, stabbed or harmed, I've healed, and until now, I've been alright with that. I knew that there would come a time when it would be explained to me, in absolute detail. I'd like that time to be now."

Now, James was quiet for quite a period. He appeared to be thinking rather deeply about a troubling subject. "Lloyd... I want you to understand something. From everything that you and I talk about tonight, if you only walk away with one thing cemented in your mind, I'd like it to be this: Everything I have ever done for you, since the time you were born, was try to protect you. That's why we went to the vault. That's why I left you inside. It's also why... you have this."

"Explain it, please."

"I wanted to make sure you were safe, like I said. Safe even from physical harm. So, during much of my free time, I had a few experiments going. Water purification, food purification, medicine production, and... you." James stalled momentarily before going on a different tangent. "In Vault 101, I didn't have much from my time out west. Your grandfather, he was, and probably still is if he's alive, a doctor. Not much of a scientist, though. I only picked that up from my time with the Followers. He had… an idea. It was born from his wife dying. She died giving birth to me."

Now, Lloyd was surprised. He had never really known anything about his grandparents, and couldn't recall if he had ever asked about them. He was shocked to learn that his grandmother had passed similarly to his own mother.

"She and he had both been born in a vault, but they didn't live in the vault once married. Growing up in the sterile conditions of a vault can make birth in the wasteland tricky. But what's more, she was possessed of a somewhat weakened immune system, a genetic defect. Thankfully, it didn't carry over. She passed as I was born." His eyes went up to Lloyd's. "Like father, like son, eh?" he said grimly. Lloyd didn't really reply other than a small, half-hearted nod.

"Anyway… He had an idea. He never completed it, as it was far too complex for him. He passed the research onto me when I left. And there, in Vault 101, my mind went back to it and I became nearly obsessed with it, as much as I had been with Project Purity. I wanted to make you heal abnormally quickly from bodily harm, so I started developing a couple different things. Most of the work was pointless, but then... an accident happened."

"An accident?"

"I stumbled upon something grand, something scientifically significant. I thought I had perfected it, so... I used it on myself."

"You did?" Lloyd's eyes widened. "Then... you have it too, right?"

"I do," James replied, pulling up his sleeve. There were vague red marks on his arm left from the Tranquility Lounger that had already healed.

"So you figured out that it worked on yourself, and then gave it to me," Lloyd surmised.

"Not yet," James said as he rolled down his sleeve. "It worked on me, but I only had a small batch of the serum. I needed to make sure it worked on someone of your blood type."

"We're not the same?"

"Close, but no. Your blood type is closer to your mother's. The serum I had developed doesn't transfer well through blood types, which I discovered in early tests. So, I needed to tweak it a little, but I wasn't sure what I had ended up with when I was done. I needed to test it, but I was too afraid to risk contaminating your blood with some kind of... mutagenic disease, I don't know."

"What could have happened?"

"If I was wrong, your body would have been at risk of tearing itself apart from the inside-out. Nasty stuff. My tests proved that it would work, though, but I still felt like I needed a live test. I wasn't going to ask for volunteers, so, using the medical records of the vault, I searched for a potential candidate."

"And?" Lloyd asked, curious to know.

"A child your age with the same blood type, around your level of fitness and in good health himself proved to be a perfect choice. Butch DeLoria."

"Butch DeLoria?" Lloyd repeated in disbelief. "He was the test subject?"

James shrugged. "It worked on him. So, I used the last bit of it on you, and, well... here we are. Self-healing."

Lloyd took a moment to think. Looking back, there were very few times in the past when Butch displayed some manner of fast healing. One time in particular stood out: the Tunnel Snakes had cornered Lloyd, and he got one good punch in on Butch before a security officer found the four of them and broke it up.

When Lloyd saw Butch next, he had a black eye, but then, over the next two or so days, it seemed to fade. Lloyd had never really thought much on it, but he remembered thinking that it was odd.

"So you, me and him are the only three with this kind of... healing factor?" Lloyd asked.

"That's correct."

"It works well," Lloyd admitted.

"I know it does. My tests and my own personal experience back out here in the wastes has proven it."

"Can it be replicated?" Lloyd asked. "Produced on a larger scale? Think of all the people that it could help."

James stopped him while he was ahead. "No, Lloyd. It was years ago. When I was done, I locked the research notes away somewhere in my office. I haven't touched that kind of research since, and like I said, what I stumbled upon was a miracle of science. I found it by mistake and there's a million-to-one chance that I'll get that kind of result again."

"But..." Lloyd trailed off, his hands in the air, as if attempting to grasp something that wasn't there.

"There are other things to focus on right now, Lloyd. Maybe, someday in the future... but I can't think about that at this moment. We're here, in Project Purity, and we have a chance to finish it. That's important work, Lloyd. This place, the Capital Wasteland... just imagine what everyone could do with fresh, clean water. Plants would have a chance to grow, people's health would improve and the mutations would slowly decrease, both in men and the surrounding wildlife..."

"It's important, I know," Lloyd agreed. "And I want to help you work on it, dad."

James looked back to Lloyd, having averted his eyes from the teen once more. "I can't change what's been done, Lloyd. None of it. I don't intend to dwell on the past beyond tonight. You're here and I intend to make the most of it. I'm… glad, son."

"I'm glad you're glad," Lloyd replied, somewhat sarcastically.

"Never mistake my intention, Lloyd, and believe me when I say that I am glad to see you. But..."

"But?"

"...I don't understand why you brought her with you."

* * *

Lucy lied down; riding the effects of the Med-X that Dr. Preston had given her. Her sunglasses and handgun were on a nearby table and most of her other gear was on the floor next to the bed.

Harkness entered the room then. The one-room hospital was vacant for the night, save for the two of them. "Hey," she said, appreciating the sight of him. "Where were you?"

"When I left this place, I made a bit of a bet with my subordinate. She was the chief of the night watch, and I was chief of the day watch, my former second-in-command. She said that I would come crawling back to this boat someday, and that when I did, I would buy her a beer just to show that she was right."

"So, you did?"

"I did," he said, stretching out his legs a little. "Then, I came here."

"Nice to know you like to go out and share beers with other women," Lucy teased.

"She's a friend, and it was a bet," Harkness said with a smile. "How's the arm?"

"A little sore, but these drugs are pretty nice," she said, letting her words drag a bit intentionally for comedic effect. Harkness smirked and let out a small chuckle.

"You certainly seem to be in higher spirits," he noticed.

"You ever hit it off with that chick?" Lucy asked, suddenly changing the subject back to the previous one.

"Lana? No. She and I were professionals in our work."

"Oh, cool," Lucy said as she lolled her head towards him. "You think you'd ever?"

"If I didn't know you, who knows what I would do," Harkness honestly replied.

Lucy chuckled a little. "I don't mean to sound jealous or anything, Christopher. I think I trust you enough to share a beer with a friend from work."

"I'm glad," the android replied, "and I don't share these with her." He leant over and kissed Lucy, and she responded in kind. Her hand briefly made contact with his arm, brushing up over it. When he pulled away, her cheeks had reddened.

She suddenly burst into a small fit of giggling. "I'm sorry, it's the Med-X," she explained. "It's nice stuff."

Harkness shared in her laughter. "I hear there's medicine for that," he told her.

"Medicine for getting high on morphine? What happens when you get high on that medicine?"

"I hear there's a cure for that, too. A cold shower."

Perhaps it was the drugs, but she laughed at that and then pulled him down for another kiss. "You know… I'm glad I met you, Christopher," she said softly as they pulled away.

His warm smile was genuine as he said, "You too."

His scans of her internal system revealed that the morphine would wear off by morning. She'd sleep well, and Lloyd and the others were probably in no real big hurry. He'd let her sleep a little longer in the morning. As he brushed a wayward strange of blonde hair out of her eyes, sliding it aside so that it would frame her pretty face, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, even if she was inebriated from the Med-X.

'I think I really do like this girl,' his human side thought.

'More data is required,' his android side thought.

* * *

Lloyd leaned back a bit, closing and opening his mouth slowly a few times. "Amata," he began, "came with me because… I needed her."

"Explain that, then," James said in a low tone. "Explain what part of you physically needed her, and I pray to god you don't seriously answer that it was your libido."

"That's got nothing to do with it," Lloyd protested. "Amata and I had never even..." He paused briefly. "...Until we came out here."

"She said she chose to go with you, Lloyd. But I'm forced to wonder, considering I knew her and her dedication to the vault, how much influence you truly had in that decision."

Lloyd's eyes narrowed at the accusation. "I... I asked her to come with me."

"You word it nicely," James said. "But perhaps, were it worded more harshly, it was that you told her you needed her. Maybe begged her, tears in your eyes, telling her that you couldn't do it without her."

"I had killed men on my way to the door, with a gun she gave me, because you left!" Lloyd suddenly shouted in defense of himself. "I was in a damn unpleasant mood, yeah, because I was forced to murder people! And faced with the outside world, the place you had warned me about for years but then you suddenly run off to, without so much as a goddamn goodbye in person?"

"I did what I felt I had to do," James said in a louder tone. "You were supposed to stay down there, but even if you hadn't, you weren't supposed to drag anyone out with you!"

"She knew she didn't have to come!"

"I think you made her come," James accused. "I know you, Lloyd. You're charismatic. You're sympathetic. Whether you truly intended to or not, you made her come with you, you manipulated her."

"I didn't—"

James stood up. "You might have forced yourself after me, stepping out of the vault and into hell, but did you honestly have to ruin Amata's life as well? And for what, Lloyd? Teenagers have crushes, early loves, but the kind of commitment you made with her on that day is something for full adults to make. You used emotion and fear of the unknown to trick her into thinking that love would triumph."

"It did! It has! I love her!" Lloyd defended himself. "I always have!"

James raised his voice as he came back with, "And maybe you would have ended up with her if you had stayed in the vault, but instead, you forced destiny's hand and made her come along, bounding her to your fate for good or for ill. Instead of thinking of yourself, Lloyd, why didn't you think of her? What if she truly didn't want to leave? What if, if not due to your overwhelming insistence, she had stayed? What then, Lloyd?"

"Well she didn't!" he retored, upset unsure of how to reply. "She didn't, and now we'll never know how things might have been!"

"No, we won't, but I think it would have been better if you had been an adult and left your childhood crush behind when entering the rest of the world!"

Lloyd got close to James' face. His father did not falter. Lip quivering, he said, "Waking up to the sounds of alarms, to her face, hearing her tell me that Jonas was beaten to death and you had left the vault, then stepping out of that giant metal door and into the wasteland? When the night previous, I had gone to bed without one fucking care in the entire world?" Lloyd took a deep breath. "You ruined the illusion of safety in the vault that day, dad. You tore down the walls I couldn't see through. And you know what? Amata saw it happen to. I think a lot of people did, and some of them died for it. We didn't. But she saw her father for the true man he was, and the shit he was capable of and willing to do. She was torn apart by the fact that her father would willingly preside over an interrogation of her where she was beaten. She begged, but he didn't stop."

James didn't reply. Lloyd went on, saying, "Whatever life she and I had in the vault before that day was gone and gone forever. What if we had stayed? The both of us? Well, I know. That day would have served as a wall, forever separating Amata and her father, and, I think, her from me. Life wouldn't have been the same. Paranoia, confusion, riots, all of that would have followed in your wake. Maybe it has, but we don't know. But knowing what had happened that day and why it had happened would have made life miserable. We'd be constantly reminded of it: that's not the kind of thing you'd forget, nor would the people around you. Nobody in the vault would ever have treated me the same after you left. So you'll forgive me, father, if I prefer the alternative. Because... and I don't care if this sounds crazy... but I'm happier out here. Out here, there are no walls. Out here, Amata and I rely on each other. We've been there for each other since we left and frankly, we've done some amazing things together. And I don't give a damn what you think about me bringing her, because it's happened and she and I are making the best out of it."

James kept staring into his son's eyes for a good ten seconds, before he broke away and sat once more. "So you love her that much, then."

"I do."

"You'd die for her?"

"I would."

"And if she died out here?"

Lloyd was quiet for a moment. "I don't know what I would do... but at least I would know she wouldn't have died for nothing."

"And that is?"

"She's given me strength. Confidence. She's returned my love and listened to me when I needed someone to talk to, and I've done the same for her. I know I love her, and I know she loves me."

"And if she wanted to do something, Lloyd, something that seemed impossible, something that no matter what she wanted to see through the end, but she died before it could be completed, what would you do?"

Lloyd had a hunch of what those words implied. "I'd see it through," he said quietly.

"Just like Catherine..." James said, barely above a whisper.

A still moment passed. No words were shared.

"Son... I don't truly mean all of those things. I only said them… to provoke you. So I that I would know how you truly felt. About her."

"You could've asked."

"I know, but... you and I, Lloyd... we're very much alike. In many ways. One of them is that we can be very official, practical and intelligent people on the outside, but scared, emotional and worried on the inside. I worried about you, Lloyd. For over twenty years, I worried. And I know you've worried about me since I left. That's part of why you came out after me. It wasn't just to get answers, it's because you genuinely cared for me. Like you genuinely love Amata."

"…And you, Catherine," Lloyd added.

Small beads of tears formed in his father's eyes and he said, "She was an amazing woman, Lloyd... but she died due to circumstances I couldn't see nor prevent, no matter how intelligent I was. Oh, I tried, how I tried... but I couldn't save her, son. I blamed myself, at first, but then, I realized, that the world sometimes simply works that way. You can't ever truly prepare for death. It just happens. I want you to know that, Lloyd, that people sometimes die before their lives are done being lived. But that the people who they leave behind, with their legacy and memories to live on with them, are made that much stronger by having known them."

Lloyd listened and took the words of his father to heart. "I know Amata might die, dad. I might, too. But I'm not going to live like anyone's as good as dead until they truly are. You're here, I'm here, she's here and now we can live out here, like a family."

James smirked, chuckling softly. "A family. Funny, that."

"Amata and I briefly talked about marriage, once, in Megaton."

James' smile faded. "What? Lloyd... those aren't the kinds of things someone as young as you needs to worry about."

"I don't worry about it, we talked about it once and we dropped it. I don't know if she thinks about it, but if she really wants it... why not?"

"I can think of a couple different reasons," James replied.

"Alright, just forget it," Lloyd said, holding up his hands in defeat.

James decided to change the subject. "You know… I heard some things from Madison while I met with her and her team. I hear you've been doing some good things."

"Some," Lloyd shrugged. "We disarmed the bomb at Megaton."

"We, or you?" James asked.

"Don't do this again," Lloyd sighed. "I like to think it's a team effort. Support with support, you know?"

"Modesty is a good trait to have, Lloyd, make no mistake. I've heard good things about you, and her, and that's more than enough to make me more proud of you than I already am."

"Yeah... thanks, dad," Lloyd said earnestly. It seemed then as if they had run out of things to say, and both of them were tired. "Maybe we should get some sleep," Lloyd suggested.

"I agree. We'll meet Madison's team in the morning and get to work right away." James stood. "You'll be sleeping here tonight?"

"Unless you want to," Lloyd offered.

"No, no, there are other beds and you and Amata should have this one. Assuming you do still share a bed," James teased.

"Since I last checked."

James opened the door to the room, and turned back to hug his son. "Goodnight, son. I love you."

"I love you too, dad."

Before his father opened the door, Lloyd stopped him. "Oh, wait, I had another question."

"What is it?"

"You said that my grandparents were from a vault. Which one?"

"Vault 21," James replied.

"Huh," Lloyd scratched the back of his head as he said, "lucky number."

With that, James left. A few moments later, Amata came down the hall and entered, followed by Russ. "So… Have a good talk?" she tentatively asked.

"Better and more honest than most I've had with him in three years," Lloyd told her. "I learned where the healing comes from."

"Do tell," Amata said, sitting next to him.

"Funny story, actually," Lloyd began. "You wouldn't believe who else has it."

* * *

"It's time." Colonel Augustus Autumn casually strolled around his office-like workspace, constructed of metal walls and fluorescent lights. Computer screens on one wall showed various things: maps, pictures, texts. His desk, also metal and round, had few things on it. His walk was confident, certain. "I've been a patient man, and that has paid off. It's time."

President John Henry Eden, his only superior, was watching him from one of the screens. He spoke, and his voice was carried through speakers to Autumn's ears. "You have received confirmation?"

Autumn smiled and nodded. "The boy led us right to them, Mr. President. As I thought he would. As predicted, he has played directly into our hands."

"I understand and accept your pride at being correct, Colonel. That aside, you are to let the good doctor Freeman live, Autumn. Do you understand? It is of vital importance that he be kept alive, else the project may never come to fruition.

"I never intended to kill him, Mr. President. He still has value. And now, we are prepared to move in once the final signal is sent. Dr. Freeman and the team will be ours."

"And the others?" Eden asked, though he already knew the orders he himself had given to the troops.

"The others will not be alive to become witnesses," the colonel casually replied. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. President, I intend to get some well-deserved sleep. Tomorrow is a very big day for us."

"Indeed, Colonel. Dismissed." The screen turned off and Autumn walked to another room. He carefully disrobed, hanging up his brown uniform jacket, methodically taking the time to ensure its absolute neatness. He double-checked his sidearm to ensure its perfect working condition. Finally, once all was done with, he cleaned himself up and entered his bed.

He had been a patient man for long enough. Now, was the time for action.

Now was the time for the full return of the Enclave.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	18. Living in a Broken Dream

_"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."_

"That is the passage, yeah," Lloyd said with a smirk. James took his hand off the glass of the large purifier tank that housed dirty water from the tidal basin. The elder Freeman turned around to regard his son.

"Revelation 21:6, Lloyd. Your mother's favorite passage. This," he said, turning to indicate the purifier, "represents that. It was her dream, her ambition."

Lloyd walked up alongside his father and looked into the tank. Inside, there was vague figure of a statue, blurred by the contaminated water. "When we first came here, I had that realization. This purifier it's… Well, it's an inspiring idea. I'm glad to help get this going again, dad," he said.

"It'll be good to work with you on this, son, side-by-side." Turning, James started walking down the stairs to the ground level with Lloyd following. As he walked, he talked. "Madison's team is most likely on its way. I want you to greet them and assist them in getting reacclimatized to the workspace."

"No problem," Lloyd replied.

"Where's Amata? And the others?"

"Still in the sub-basement level," he answered. "They'll be ready to help in any way they can."

"Very good. Once Li and her team are here, we'll be able to finally get going on the project. When we get the mainframe up and running, we might just find the data we need in order to locate a G.E.C.K. and complete the purification process."

"The G.E.C.K. is the key, right?"

James confirmed Lloyd's question with a nod. "It's advanced technology, far beyond anything we could develop with our limited facilities here. With a G.E.C.K., we can jump years ahead in our plans and get the purifier working far sooner, with only part of the hassle."

"The G.E.C.K. will be in a vault, right?" Lloyd asked.

"Correct."

"Well, wonderful," Lloyd deadpanned. "Another day, another vault, apparently."

"Don't worry. It won't be for a short while until we learn where it is. Most likely several days, at the least."

"Looking forward to it, then." Lloyd headed towards the rotunda's exit. "I'll go out to meet the team," he said. James nodded in response.

As Lloyd proceeded onwards through the dark, dusty building, others were making preparations in its lower levels. At Charon's suggestion, Amata took some time to inspect her guns and take stock of her supplies. She was sitting at a table, her SMG laid out before her in three parts. Russ sat obediently at her feet.

Charon was nearby, leaning against a bunk, cleaning the "terrible" shotgun. And also in the room, sitting cross-legged in its center was the serene super mutant Uncle Leo.

"Do you think... you will need your guns soon?" he asked them.

"Hopefully not," Amata replied, casting a quick glance at the super mutant, who regarded her with curious eyes.

"Being prepared saves lives," Charon said. "Those who do not prepare will be caught unawares."

Leo posed them a question. "What danger... faces us... here?"

Charon looked over at the large green man, his dull blue eyes glinting in the dim light. "I scouted some of the tunnels underneath this place. A haven for feral ghouls, as it turns out."

Amata looked back at Charon upon hearing his words. Unique amongst all of the group, she alone knew how he felt about ferals.

The tall ghoul continued, "Super mutants and raiders are always a constant threat as well. Wild animals or mirelurks swimming into the large tubes from the tidal basin all pose a constant threat." He finished his task and then set his shotgun on the bed beside him. "My point, Uncle Leo, is that safety is, far more often than not, an illusion. We must be ever alert. And prepared."

"A shame... that we are forced to do such things..." Uncle Leo said remorsefully. "It makes one wish... for a world, where danger... is not commonplace."

"It's a nice dream," Amata commented.

"One that we won't live to see," Charon suddenly said. Amata and Uncle Leo were silent in the face of his cynicism.

"Maybe one day," Amata offered, though her voice was soft.

Charon didn't say anything more.

Above, Lloyd waited outside the entrance, watching the sun's light play out over the waters of the Potomac River. 'It's beautiful,' he thought. The rays reflected and bounced off the constantly shifting and surging surface of the tidal basin. As he looked at the water, knowing it was all irradiated and deadly, spreading sickness and mutations, he allowed himself to entertain the idea of it all being clean soon.

He saw a brighter and bluer river, with a clean and sandy beach. He saw people swimming in it, drinking it. Swimming for recreation and drinking it for valuable sustenance, or even just drinking it because it was there. There were kids, even, lots of them. Playing, skipping rocks over its surface, running around with smiles on their faces. Not far beyond the beach was grass, green and healthy. He and Amata were both there, along with others, their companions and other people they had come to know.

His daydream suddenly ended when he heard voices. Shaking his head for a moment, he moved to the corner of the building to see Dr. Madison Li and a team of various individuals, some of whom he recognized from the Rivet City science lab. "Dr. Li," Lloyd called out. She waved.

"Where is James?" she asked him as she neared him.

"Inside the rotunda. I'm to assist you on the project and help with anything you need."

Suddenly, a man in her party with brown hair and a blue jumpsuit stepped forward. "You can start by not touching anything in there," he said in a standoffish voice. Lloyd cocked an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" Lloyd replied.

Madison held up her hand. "Daniel, be quiet. We're headed inside."

The group moved past Lloyd, with Daniel, as was his apparent name, giving him a nasty look.

'The hell'd I do to that guy?' Lloyd thought. He followed in behind the last scientist.

As they walked down a hallway, Lloyd explained what he, his father and his friends had done since they had arrived. When he mentioned that a super mutant, a ghoul, a dog and another vault-dweller were down in the basement, Daniel protested loudly.

"A fucking super mutant? What is this, Li? Do you have any idea what kind of damage that thing could have done to this place?" Before Li could stop him, Daniel got right into Lloyd's face. "Just who the hell do you think you are, letting a super mutant in here to do as he pleases? And a fucking ghoul?"

Lloyd held up his hands. "Hey, look, buddy, I don't know what your problem is, but—"

Daniel interrupted him. "You and your father, kid, that's my problem. Twice now has your father interrupted our work. Twenty years ago he left, and now he's back, so we're supposed to just drop everything and continue working on a dead project, huh?"

"Daniel," Madison said sternly. "I won't warn you again."

"This is ridiculous, Madison. You're honestly going to let this kid walk around here like he owns the place? Bringing in mutants and monsters and ignorant idiots who will destroy everything they touch?"

Lloyd had had just about enough of this guy. "If you don't like it, leave," Lloyd said.

Daniel turned his angered gaze back to the teen. "Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? You make me sick. I'm not going anywhere kid, so just stay the hell out of my way." Daniel pushed past the other members of the group and walked onwards.

"I hope you don't all feel the same way," Lloyd said to the others. Madison shook her head.

"I'm sorry about Daniel. He has never quite seen eye-to-eye with your father, and is… understandably upset about his return. He's invaluable as an assistant, however, so I hope we can find a way to work together."

"Sounds like he's just projecting his anger onto me," Lloyd muttered.

"He is. He just doesn't like that the project was put on hiatus, and now is revived. Don't worry about him, though. Shall we proceed inside?" she suggested.

Dropping the subject, Lloyd led the way and agreed, "Let's."

The workers began to disperse throughout the building, taking in account of the state of the project. Madison immediately met James in the Rotunda and they were exchanging some preliminary information in a professional manner when Lloyd approached. Nearby, a female scientist named Janice Kaplinski checked a clipboard, going over the early procedures they would have to take to make up for twenty years of hiatus.

"Good, everyone's here," his father noted. "Madison and I have been going over some preliminary notes, Lloyd, and if you'd like, you can start helping right away."

"What do you need?"

"Well, for starters, I'd like you to head down to the basement level and turn on the flood control pump's power. It'll be a labeled switch with an intercom next to it. I've managed to hook up a generator, so the intercoms will work. They're located at various places around the facility. If you need help, contact me on one of them. When you find the switch and activate it, contact me and I'll tell you what's next."

Lloyd listened to the instructions diligently. Upon their completion he exited the rotunda, headed for the basement. He walked past Amata, who was on her way up to see him, coincidentally.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Just flipping a switch for dad," Lloyd said with a smirk. She followed him as he walked down the stairs, searching for the flood control pump.

Along the way, she asked, "Is the team here?" He nodded. "How are they?"

"Good, save for one. This guy named Daniel. Bit of a dickhead, but nothing too big."

"Nothing like Butch?" she joked.

"Not even close."

They made some more talk about the team until they found the switch, which was adjacent to a large device that resembled an electrical generator built into the floor of a small room which was located at the end of a hallway in the lower levels of the facility. Lloyd walked up to the yellow console and pressed the red button after spending a short time inspecting it for any oddities.

The intercom nearby buzzed to life. James' voice emerged from it. "Lloyd? I'm reading that you've gotten the power to the pumps. That's good. Hurry back up, I need to give you some fuses that you'll need for the next step."

"On my way," Lloyd said, releasing the talk button afterwards. He motioned to Amata and they proceeded back in the direction they came.

* * *

"You know, your son reminds me a lot of you," Li said, walking up next to her colleague.

"Is that so?" James replied, an amused expression on his face. "He must irritate you just as much as I do, then."

Li chuckled softly. "You know, James, coming back here... it's amazing, really, how little it's changed in nineteen years. How little we've changed."

"Things are different," James insisted, but then conceded, "But you are right. Much of it is as it was when we left."

"When you left, you mean," Li countered.

James' eyes closed. "Madison... I'll not try to justify what I did. I won't say I didn't do it, either, but I don't intend on dwelling on it."

"I don't blame you, James," she said, leaning against a railing. She looked at him, saying, "Some people might carry a grudge, but after all this time, I'm just not bitter enough to do that. You did what you did."

James' expression turned thoughtful. "Thank you, Madison. I just hope we can get Project Purity working at long last and make it all worthwhile."

"That's the kind of dedication that would make Catherine proud, James," Li said with a smile. "It's the same dedication that drove your son to come and find you."

He paused. "It is. Lloyd is so much like this mother, and yet he's got a lot of me at the same time, and now he is helping us finally finish the project that both of us started."

"In a way, it feels right, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Not many things in this world do, but yes. It does."

As Madison looked up at the purifier tank, she mentioned, "I must say, they've been making quite a few heads turn out there in the wastes. My assistant Janice tells me that Three Dog gave them quite the interview. I almost wish I had a recording of it to give to you."

James smirked as he thought of Three Dog. "What an odd man he is."

In that moment, Lloyd and Amata entered the rotunda with Russ dutifully following along and made their way up the stairs and into the purifier's central chamber where Li and James waited. "Ah, we were just talking about you," Li said.

"Nothing too terrible, I hope," Lloyd replied.

"Not at all. James?" she said, looking at the teen's father. He approached Lloyd.

"Right," he said as he did so. "The flooding shorted out some of the fuse boxes downstairs, including one that controls some of the automatic doors. One of these doors leads to the mainframe. Take these fuses," he said as he handed over a bundle of red wires and connectors, "and use them on a box on the eastern end of the sub-basement level. That'll give you access to the mainframe."

"I was never much of an electrician, that was more Dean's specialty," Lloyd said, referring to the mechanic in Vault 101 who Lloyd had worked with during much of his working time in the vault.

"If you need help, use the intercoms," James advised. Lloyd nodded and headed out. "Be careful, son. Some of those wires might give you a jolt," he called out.

"You know I'll be fine," Lloyd called back with a knowing smile.

Outside the room, they met a man who had come with Dr. Li. He introduced himself rather politely as Alex Dargon, and he was accompanied by a soft-spoken fellow named Garza. "I just wanted to say sorry for Daniel's attitude," Alex said. "Honestly, I'm just glad to be here. This project is going to change lives, and I've heard a lot about your father. It's really great to be working with him and you."

"Thanks," Lloyd said, shaking the man's outstretched hand. "Any help for the project is appreciated." He looked at Garza. "What do you do, Garza?"

The man answered rather simply, "I am… I lift heavy things."

"Oh… well, glad to have you on. Anyway, we need to go install these fuses. Nice meeting you," Lloyd disengaged before he and Amata headed towards the basement door. Dargon and Garza moved on to their assigned stations.

A woman scientist, Anna Holt by name, watched the Wandering Pair go by with some curiosity, giving them only the briefest of greetings. From the corner of her eyes, she watched as they vanished behind the downstairs doorway.

A bead of nervous sweat found its way down her forehead.

* * *

"Hey… wake up," Harkness said, lightly pushing on Lucy's shoulder. "Wake up," he repeated.

Lucy rolled over and grumbled something about "five more minutes." Harkness smiled at her response.

"We need to get over to Project Purity, to the others," he reminded her.

Lucy's eyes slowly opened and after she rubbed her hands over them, they focused on Harkness. "Morning, Christopher," she said with a smile.

"Good morning. Are you hungry?" he asked.

After a short yawn, she stretched her arms and said, "Little bit."

"Then let's get some breakfast at the galley. Come on," he said, holding out his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. She quickly slipped on her shoes, then folded her sunglasses up and put them in her pocket. She took her pistol and did the same, sliding it into its holster at her side. Through it all, Harkness waited patiently by the hospital door.

She walked up to him and said, "Well, let's go eat then, shall we?"

"Let's," he said enthusiastically. They headed down the hallways of the old aircraft carrier, towards the stairwell that would lead them to the marketplace. As they walked, Lucy's hand found Harkness', wrapping her fingers around his. He was pleasantly surprised by the action and found himself thinking the action to be very sweet. He returned it by softly squeezing her hand. Their sights met and he found her wearing a warm smile, one which he replicated.

To Lucy, Harkness' hand felt like a normal man's, for it had been perfectly designed that way. Everything, right down to sweat glands and veins that pumped artificial blood throughout his body had been taken into account. His hair fell out and grew, as did his beard (which he kept closely shaved). His pupils dilated, his nostrils flared, his ears perked up when he heard something. Harkness was, on the outside, as human as any human could be.

So, as they sat and ate, making light-hearted and often humorous conversation over their meals and occasionally "accidentally" playfully bumping each other's feet with their own, Lucy would never have suspected that Harkness was what he truly was. His body was capable of digesting food and water, and he even had mannerisms that extended to his eating habits. Everything about him was human, so she naturally assumed he was like she would with any normal man.

But despite the flawless deception his appearance gave, she would soon find out that she had been wrong.

DOLPHON

Lloyd finished connecting the fuses to their proper place in the box. A few feet away, Amata watched, interested in the work. The fuses had to be connected in a specific manner, but they were marked on the ends for ease of installation. When he had finished, the intercom not a few feet away emitted James' voice, as before.

"Good! With the fuses in place, you should be able to access the mainframe. No need to come up to the control room; just head straight there. It's at the top floor of the basement level, up the stairs from where you are right now. Follow the signs on the walls if you can't find it."

"Rodger," Lloyd said into the intercom. As they walked, Amata snickered a little.

"What?" he asked.

"Rodger?" she said in a teasing tone.

"Hey, I'm trying to stay a little professional," Lloyd shrugged.

They passed Charon and Uncle Leo then, who were sitting and apparently staring at each other. Lloyd disregarded the sight and continued up the stairs, but Amata spent a moment looking at them and wondering about their actions. She noticed then that their eyes were closed. 'Are they meditating?' She had never observed Charon doing it before but it seemed to fit his still nature. Thinking that it would be rude to interrupt, she quickly caught up with Lloyd.

The door that led to the mainframe did not prove difficult to find. It was a large, metal door that previously had proved unable to open. Now, with the restored circuitry, it did. After turning a circular valve in its center, the door split apart and folded into the walls before them, revealing a large room with many computer towers and various devices and instruments on tables, some of which Lloyd recognized, some of which he did not. The room was rather dusty, as no living creatures had been inside of it for nearly twenty years.

Lloyd approached the centermost computer and turned on a large button labeled "power." The devices around them flared to life, which he took as a sign that the mainframe was back online.

James contacted them once more via an intercom. "Excellent. I'm getting reports that the mainframe is coming back to life. There are still a few minor repairs that need to be done up here in the control room. Why don't you come back up here and give me a hand, and then you can call it a day?"

Lloyd pressed the respond button and said, "Got it. On our way."

As they turned to leave, James' voice returned. "Actually, wait. There's one more thing I need you to do. Janice is reporting that there's a blockage in one of the intake pipes. Why don't you head back up to the museum level, I'll instruct you from there."

"No need. Just tell me what I'll have to do right here," Lloyd said.

"Alright. One moment." The intercom went dead, and Amata spoke up.

"Think he'll need some help up in the rotunda while you do this?"

"Maybe," Lloyd replied. "We'll see what he needs."

The intercom buzzed back to life. "I'm back. You'll need to enter one of the pipes and turn a valve inside of it. It'll clear the blockage and should restore it to working condition."

"Inside a pipe? How small will it be?"

"There will be enough room for you to crouch. It's a fairly large pipe."

"Is this dangerous?"

"No, no. You'll be temporarily locked inside the pipe, but once you turn the valve and clear the wreckage, the exit gate will unlock. You can enter the pipe from the museum level. It's that one hallway leading away from the gift shop area."

"I know the one. Heading up now," Lloyd reported. He turned back to Amata. "I think I can get this one," he told her. "I don't think the both of us would like crawling through a pipe."

"Amen," Amata chuckled. "Sounds like James' doing alright. I'll stay down here with Russ. See you soon," she said.

"Hey, hold on a second," Lloyd said as he slipped his backpack off. He handed it to her. "Just in case I get wet," he shrugged.

"Oh, scared of a little water?" she teased as she took hold of the backpack.

"The water out there? Yeah," he said with a smirk. They parted ways, with Lloyd heading back up the museum and Amata taking Russ to sit with Uncle Leo, who broke his meditation and fixed her with as friendly a face as a super mutant was capable of.

On the upper level, Lloyd followed a long hallway until he reached the hatch he would access the pipe with. He opened the hatch, sat on its edge and eased himself in before letting go, landing in a crouched position. The interior of the damp and slightly foul-smelling tunnel was lit with an occasional dim light bulb, so he turned on his Pip-Boy's light.

Keeping his mind from the unpleasant smell, he continued slowly walking in a hunched-over position until he finally reached the valve, which was located next to a large hole in the side of the pipe that was patched with metal fence wire through which bright sunlight shined.

Positioning himself in front of it, he firmly gripped the red valve. Though he found it to be initially resistant to movement, it finally moved under his twisting and only a moment later he could hear the water running in smaller pipes around him. He looked to his left, seeing that the exit gate had a sign above it that displayed, in large red letters, that it was locked.

He resolved to wait, knowing there was nothing more that he could do. And that moment, from the very first second he heard a strange noise on the horizon, would be forever implanted in his memory. It started out small: a low, dull noise that was constantly growing, getting louder and closer. Then, he heard what had to be explosions in the distance. He desperately tried to look through the large crack in the pipe, but he couldn't see much through the metal wiring.

Then, the noises grew nearly deafening. A whirling noise, like a helicopter's, was heard as some kind of air vehicle landed on the large walkway near the memorial. He could see it from his current location; its body had two wings protruding from it which ended in forward-facing propellers that could rotate to an upwards position to allow for hovering. As it lowered, three legs emerged from its lower body in a triangular position to give it legs to land on. The hull was a bleak, grey color.

Two more flew by overhead. Lloyd watched as the one that landed near him opened up and from its interior came soldiers in black power armor emerged. He recognized the armor; once, a lone soldier wearing it had ambushed him, Amata, Russ and Jericho. They had taken him out with a grenade. This was a squad of these soldiers, however. Alongside the disembarking soldiers was a man in a tan military-like uniform, holding a strange pistol. The power armored soldiers carried a variety of energy weapons. They quickly formed up and stormed inside the memorial.

Lloyd's blood ran cold. He immediately knew that they meant trouble. His mind swam with a million questions about their sudden appearance but he had no answers, not even about their identity.

He looked to the left. The gate was still locked.

* * *

Charon's eyes immediately snapped open when he heard something upstairs. A scuffle, an explosion, gun shots and laser blasts. Noises he knew all too well. Then, he heard them from below, from the lowest reaches of the sub-basement. Russ started growling and Amata stood up. "What's going on?" she said, hearing the noises.

Charon picked up his shotgun. "This place is no longer safe," he warned. He closed his eyes and tried to listen. He could hear footsteps coming from the lower levels. "Amata. Ready your grenades," he ordered. When she paused, he said more firmly, "Now!"

She fumbled around her backpack, looking for the explosives. Uncle Leo looked around nervously, slowly getting up to his feet.

Charon approached the opening of the bottom stairwell and looked down, his gun leading his vision. Then, he saw them. They wore black power armor that he did not recognize. The first one looked up the stairs and saw him immediately after, the yellow eyes of the helmet flashing ever so briefly.

Charon immediately opened fire, hitting the soldier in the chest. He staggered back, unharmed, and the other two took cover. "Who is it?" Amata shouted.

"Enemies," Charon merely replied, for he while he didn't know who they were, he knew hostile intent when he saw it. He fired twice more before taking cover around the corner at the top of the stairs. Amata rolled a grenade to him, which he stopped with his foot, then picked up and bit out the pin, tossing it down the stairs.

The door leading up to the museum was blasted off its hinges. The metal door slid down the stairs, smoking and dented, roughly twenty feet from Amata. She turned and saw dark figures emerging from the smoke wafting down the stairs. Thinking quickly, she tossed a grenade up the steps and then took out her SMG.

The explosion knocked the first soldier against a wall. In that brief moment, she realized she recognized the armor the figure wore. She raised her gun, holding it in both hands and fired in short, concentrated bursts like she had been teaching herself. The bullets seemed to deflect off of his armor, but she did force him and his allies to take cover.

Now, the standoff began. At both ends of the room, Charon and Amata held off the armored troops, alternating between hiding from enemy fire and getting off shots of their own. But it seemed hopeless: their bullets and explosives didn't seem to be hitting the right areas to do enough damage. Charon managed to blow the foot off of one of his enemies, then finish him off with a grenade donated from Amata. Through it all, Uncle Leo and Russ waited behind cover, anxious and fearful.

* * *

The gate unlocked, and Lloyd frantically made his way through the pipe, ending up in the lowest level of the sub-basement. Descending through the pipes, he ended up in one of the empty outflow pipes above the pools of irradiated water. Across the room, he saw and heard his friends firing on the intruders, but did not get their attention for fear of accidentally causing harm to them by breaking their concentration. He leapt out of the open pipe end and landed next to the edge of a large vat of dirty water.

He took out his magnum and ripper, holding them in separate hands. Looking down one tunnel, he could see where the enemy had entered. They had blown their way inside from one of the pipes that was similar to the one Lloyd had just crawled out of. He regretted that he did not have his backpack, where he had landmines, as he would have liked to have placed one at the mouth of the opening.

Moving to the stairwell hallway, he found himself behind two of the soldiers, who were firing up at Charon's position. Simultaneously preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, Lloyd snuck up behind the one nearest him and jammed the ripper into the soldier's back, managing to slice through a thin portion of the metal armor, while also shooting the soldier in the back of the head with his magnum. At point-blank range, the .44 bullet penetrated the helmet, killing him. Lloyd tore the ripper out as the soldier slumped to the side.

The other soldier immediately noticed Lloyd. He turned to the right and fired, the red laser blast from his rifle hitting Lloyd's left arm as he fell back in an attempt to dodge. Lloyd shouted in pain as the searing beam hit his flesh. Charon, upon hearing Lloyd and realizing what had happened, daringly charged down the stairs, emptying the test of the clip from the terrible shotgun. Five discharges hit the soldier while another one knocked the gun from the soldier's hands. While his power armor offered great protection, he perished under Charon's brutal and sudden assault.

"Lloyd, are you alright?" Charon asked, kneeling next to his friend.

"Yeah, yeah," Lloyd said through gritted teeth as the ghoul helped him to his feet. "It'll heal. Come on!" He got up, dashed up the stairs and ran towards Amata, taking cover next to her as she fired on the soldier's position, missing due to them hiding around the corner. Charon moved into a corner to reload his shotgun. Amata was glad to see Lloyd, but didn't let up on her suppressive fire. Nearby, Uncle Leo continued to hold Russ in check, as he knew the canine could do nothing against the power armor.

Lloyd could reach his backpack now. He took out the customized laser rifle Harkness had developed for him, which could fire nine beams per single trigger pull. Switching places with Amata, he opened fire on one of the soldiers, who had thought Amata's defense to be weakened. Thinking he could secure the kill, the soldier was surprised from the sudden onslaught of red laser beams. Caught off guard, Lloyd blasted him thrice with twenty-seven lasers and he fell dead. The only other only other remaining soldier tried to charge down the stairs, firing at Lloyd and forcing him to take cover. As he advanced out in the open, he felt something press against his helmet.

It was the muzzle of Charon's shotgun, pressed against his head. The ghoul pulled the trigger, expecting a kill, but all it seemed to do was dent the helmet's side. It knocked the soldier to the ground, however, and as he looked up at Charon through the yellow lens of his helmet's eyes, he saw the ghoul aim again at his head and fire. This second blast was enough to tear the front of the helmet apart and the soldier did not move any more.

Lloyd, seeing Charon's kill, quickly moved from cover to join the ghoul near the stairway. "Where did they come from?" Amata asked as she stood up.

"No matter," Lloyd said, sliding on his backpack. Amata did the same. "Grab everything you have and move!" His mind was reeling. He had to make sure his father was safe, along with the other scientists. He still knew nothing about what was going on. Fear and desperation guided his swift feet as he ascended the stairs, with Amata, Charon, Uncle Leo and Russ right behind him.

The upper level seemed bare, but more soldiers were coming in from the entrance to the monument. The Wandering Pair and their allies found themselves taking cover from enemy fire near the main lobby, where the previous occupants of the building, super mutants, had piled sandbags. These provided good barricades from enemy fire for both sides. Lloyd noticed that every soldier carried some kind of energy weapon. 'Who are these people? How do they have such advanced technology? Where did they come from and why are they shooting at us?!' were just some of the questions flying through his mind. He realized he hadn't seen any of the scientists and hoped that they, and his father, had found safety in the rotunda where the purifier was.

"We need a plan!" Lloyd shouted as bullets and lasers flew throughout the room. Amata primed a grenade and tossed it in the doorway the enemies were entering the room from, temporarily keeping three of them from entering. Charon held his shotgun over a sandbag and fired a series of blasts that forced two of the soldiers to hide behind cover.

"Get to the rotunda!" He told Lloyd as he fired again.

"I can't leave you!" Lloyd shouted back.

Charon grunted as he forcefully replied, "Lloyd, Amata, go! I will hold them!"

"And I will help!" Uncle Leo shouted, moving around from behind them to get near Charon. "Go! Little Brother! Little Sister!" A power armored soldier moved near Uncle Leo then, who surprised the enemy by emerging from cover and picking him up. Uncle Leo used his armored body as a shield from the surge of enemy laser blasts that followed before throwing his corpse at another soldier, pinning him.

Lloyd and Amata watched his two mutated friends do battle against the strange new enemies. Wishing both of them the best of luck, they ducked out of the main lobby. Russ, whining, quickly sprinted out after them, following them up to the rotunda door.

Lloyd nearly kicked down the door and ran up the stairs, only to discover that the interior main chamber of the purifier was sealed off with a door that contained a large glass window. Dr. Li was outside this door, looking within. Following her gaze, they discovered that inside was James, the scientist Janice Kaplinski and two more soldiers holding them both at gunpoint, as well as a man in a tan military coat who was currently addressing James. From behind the glass, their words were slightly muffled but still audible.

The man in the coat spoke, "By the authority of the President, this facility is under United States government control. Dr. James Freeman, you are hereby ordered to turn over all materials related to the project." The man spoke in a voice that was lightly touched with a southern accent. James wore a defiant look on his face and Janice was clearly frightened.

"Colonel Autumn. It's Colonel, isn't it?" James said, trying to sound polite. "I'm afraid the Enclave has no authority here. You'll have to leave."

'The Enclave?' thought both Lloyd and Amata, recalling the scant details they knew about the group. Lloyd suddenly pounded on the glass, surprising Dr. Li.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Open this goddamn door!" At his feet, Russ growled in the direction of the door.

The man turned and looked at Lloyd from behind the glass. His hair was greyed, neatly combed, and his arms were folded behind his back. Upon seeing Lloyd and Amata, the man's stern expression softened slightly and he laughed to himself, as if he knew a good inside joke. "Well, well, look what we have here: the wayward son."

"Lloyd, stand down," James warned, holding up his hand. "Let me handle this."

"Let my father out of there," Lloyd ordered.

Autumn chuckled to himself some more. "No, Lloyd, I think not. I've got everyone right where I want them; including yourself. Right now, my soldiers are surrounding this building, swarming its tunnels. We've already won."

"Who the hell are you?" Lloyd demanded. Amata put her hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him down. She reasoned that acting rash wouldn't get anything solved.

"I suppose we have some time," Autumn said, pulling out a golden pocket watch, flipping it open and checking it casually. He straightened and addressed himself as, "Colonel Augustus Autumn of the Enclave, Lloyd Freeman and Amata Almodovar, or, the 'Wandering Pair' as that babbling fool on the G.N.R. radio station has dubbed you. I'd like to take this moment to personally thank the both of you for the role you've played ever since you left your vault."

"What?" Amata asked, not understanding.

Autumn smirked and looked at James. "We were unable to track James down. He did a remarkable job of keeping a low profile..." He looked back to them. "...Unlike yourselves. With you two going around, solving every little problem you came across, you were exceedingly easy to follow and keep tabs on."

"One of your soldiers attacked us before we ever found my father," Lloyd said, remembering the encounter near Megaton. "Why try and kill us if you wanted us to find him?"

"That was an error of the scout," Autumn admitted, waving his hand. "He thought you were your father. It was my decision that you be followed. I had a hunch you would simply lead us to the prize, the prize being your father and this project."

"I won't work with you," James said, getting the man's attention. "And Project Purity won't work, either. It never has, and likely never will."

Lloyd could hardly believe his ears. His father had previously held all the faith in the world that Project Purity would run. Then, he realized he may merely be trying to lead the colonel on and that the man might not know about the G.E.C.K. they required.

Autumn's brow furrowed. "You don't honestly expect me to believe that you would return to this project after such an absence without expecting results, do you?"

"How do you even know about this?" Lloyd asked. "How do you know so much about my father, about me, and about this project?"

Autumn turned, and his expression wasn't an amused one. "Child, you need to learn the order of things. First, we have people. Everywhere. We knew about James' return from our agent in the Rivet City science lab. We cross-referenced it with our agent in Megaton to ensure that he had passed through."

"Who?" Dr. Li suddenly spoke up, outraged at the traitorous actions of someone on her science team. "Who sold us out?"

"I suppose, since you'll never see her again, you may know, Dr. Madison Li. Anna Holt was our agent in your science lab, working alongside you all along, fooling you, earning your trust. We find that our agents are exceptionally good at it."

Madison's eyes drifted down, as something had become blatantly clear to her.

Autumn, now facing the Wandering Pair, went on to say, "Then, low and behold, after James left the Vault, you two showed up and suddenly you were on everyone's radar. I'm impressed with how much of a stirring you've caused in your short time in the outside world, boy. And again, I am forced to thank you for all you've done. But I'd like to specifically mention you this time, Miss Almodovar."

Amata's eyes narrowed as looked at the man, not catching onto his meaning. Autumn smiled. "Allow me to explain. Thanks to your absence, we were able to convince your father to allow us access to Vault 101. It was pathetically simplistic, truly, as all we had to do was offer him you back. Of course, I never intended to keep that end of the bargain. The steel door of Vault 101 opened and we flooded inside and took control. And now, we've transported them across the wasteland to a safe and secure location, well hidden from rescue."

Amata found herself quivering as the weight of his words came down on her and she realized she was directly responsible for whatever they had done to her friends and father. "What the hell for?" Amata demanded to know, gritting her teeth and withholding tears. Lloyd, alongside her, was equally appalled and angered by this revelation. They both wanted to break the door down and throttle the man. But with the thickness of the glass and them holding James and Janice at gunpoint, they had no other options.

Autumn explained, allowing a smug tone of superiority to emerge in his tone, "The Enclave prizes civilians untouched by the outside world, Miss Almodovar. It's been determined by our inner circle that the people of Vault 101 will make for an excellent working caste in our new society."

Lloyd's eyes narrowed and he asked, "What new society?"

"The New United States of America, of course," Autumn casually replied.

"How dare you!" Amata shouted at the man, clenching her fists. "They're people! Humans! You can't just enslave them!"

"Oh yes, we very much can." Autumn paused for a moment, carefully studying the young woman, searching for something. He seemed to find it as he said, "I must say, Miss Almodovar, you do truly look like your father. I should know; I was there when he died."

Amata's eyes widened and her heart utterly sank. "You... you didn't..." she said, barely loud enough for him to hear.

Autumn, staring her directly in the eyes, replied, "Yes, I did."

Lloyd pulled out his scoped magnum and aimed it at Autumn through the glass. He fired, and the bullet ricocheted off the glass. Autumn did not flinch at the gunshot, though everyone else did. The colonel seemed amused by the sudden attempted assassination.

"How very noble, Mr. Freeman. How very noble indeed. But I'm afraid you are quite powerless in your current position, and the time for heroic games is over."

Autumn turned, pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Janice's head. "Dr. Freeman, you will hand over all materials related to the project, as I said. Furthermore, you are to assist Enclave scientific personnel in any capacity they would require of you to get this facility completely operational. Do I make myself clear?" he primed the gun. "Or do I have to add an exclamation point to my order?"

The woman held her hands up, her legs shaking in fear. Tears streamed down her face as she openly began sobbing. "Don't shoot her," James pleaded. "Please, there's no need. We can talk about this, colonel."

A single shot rang out and Janice fell to the ground, dead, a single bloody hole between her eyes. Amata closed her eyes and buried herself in Lloyd's side, hiding the sight of the cold-blooded murder perpetrated by the man who claimed to have killed her father. If there was any doubt in anyone that he was capable of doing what he said, there was none now. Russ' growling intensified.

Autumn slid the gun in its holster. "While I admit I have been rather conversational up until this point, I did not come to talk, Dr. Freeman. Now, before any more accidents need to happen, can I assume that you can cooperate without further dissidence? Is that right, Dr. Freeman?"

James, holding back his terrible fury at the atrocity committed right in front of his eyes, grudgingly spat out, "Yes, colonel."

Lloyd nearly choked, feeling helpless behind the glass. Defiantly, he shouted, "Dad! You can't do what he says!"

James looked at his son with a stare Lloyd had never seen before and said, "Lloyd... I need you to shut up." It worked; Lloyd was speechless.

Autumn chuckled heartily at the exchange. "Children. They never do quite learn their place beneath the adults, do they, James?"

James shook his head and closed his eyes in frustration. "Don't talk to me about my son, Autumn, you goddamn bastard."

"Petty insults work on petty people, Dr. Freeman, one of which I am not. Now, I have thoroughly enjoyed our little talk in my own little ways, but I'm afraid my patience is wearing particularly thin. Hand over the materials I need, now."

James straightened, taking a deep breath of air. He looked from Autumn to Lloyd, then to Amata and Madison. He closed his eyes, and in that moment, his resolve seemed to leave him, and he seemed defeated. His shoulders slumped and his head slightly tilted downwards. Lloyd watched with wide eyes as his father looked at Autumn and said with resignation, "Alright, Autumn. You finally win. Give me a moment to bring the system online."

"Dad, no..." Lloyd said, barely above a whisper.

James looked back at Lloyd, and Lloyd alone, one last time. He then turned, approached the main console and began pressing the necessary keys to boot it up. Amata, Lloyd and Li all looked on, watching their hopes and dreams for the project bleed away as James, the visionary and leader of the team, was about to hand it over to the Enclave.

"I grow tired of these delays," Autumn said after a few seconds, clenching his fists behind his back.

"Just one more moment," James muttered.

A flash of light emanated from within the chamber, catching everyone by surprise. It temporarily blinded them all, preventing them from seeing the explosion that they could hear. Russ began barking wildly as both Lloyd and Amata's Pip-Boys began to tick with a familiar sound; the Geiger counter was registering radiation. As vision returned to those outside of the purifier chamber, they were greeted with a horrifying sight. The two power armored Enclave soldiers within had dropped their weapons were staggering around, trying to fight an invisible enemy, as the incredibly lethal radiation did its work. Autumn, suddenly looking very sickly, lurched towards James before falling to the ground and lying very still.

All of them watched as James gasped and slowly walked towards the glass that separated him from them. He was obviously in great pain as the radiation he had caused from overloading the central purifier's main power source assaulted his body. Struggling with every agonizing step of the way, James finally fell to his knees before the door and put his hand on the glass.

"Son..." he rasped, his voice weak and trembling. Lloyd got down on his father's level, also putting his hands on the glass. His eyes were wide and fearful. Behind him, Amata tightly gripped Lloyd's shoulders, fear and disbelief causing her to almost not breathe.

Lloyd looked at his father and cried, "Dad! What did you do?"

"I stopped them... from taking the project... my son..." James gasped, and before Lloyd could reply, he said, "Lloyd! Listen to me... you must... run, escape... take... take Amata... take Madison and her team... escape... run... run…"

"No! Dad, I won't leave you!" Lloyd shouted, almost pounding on the glass.

His father closed his eyes, a tear rolling down one cheek. "I am… already dead... The gift I gave us, Lloyd... it has let me live this long... to talk... but this radiation is... I am dead..."

"No! No! No!" Lloyd had tears in his eyes and running down his cheeks. "I didn't come all of way—_you_ didn't come all of this way, just for this! Don't leave me again! Not again! Don't!"

"I'm so sorry... my son... that it must be this way..." James coughed. Before Lloyd's terrified eyes, his father's skin started to slowly decay and in a moment forever seared in Lloyd's memory, his father slowly started to look like a ghoul. His father's healing factor, however, was preventing full ghoulification, which would have saved him, due to the immunity to rads all ghouls possessed.

"Lloyd…" James rasped. "Never… never let them take it… Your mother's dream…"

"Dad…" Lloyd softly cried. He felt as though his heart was beating a thousand times a second, like he was choking, like everything in the world had come down around him, torn apart by some malevolent higher power. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of seeing his father slowly die in front of him and being completely, utterly helpless to save him. Both Li and Amata were similarly stunned beyond the capacity to rationally act.

His father, gasping his last breaths, suddenly got a serene look in his suddenly milky eyes. He looked up, and with cracked lips, he spoke, "_I... am Alpha... and Omega..." _He looked down at Lloyd, and spoke his final words. "Son… I… love… I'm... proud..."

James slumped over, leaning against the entryway and closed his eyes. His final breath left his lips in a single, long exhalation. Madison, Amata, and perhaps most affected amongst them all, Lloyd, looked on in devastating pain as the man died.

Lloyd couldn't breathe or close his eyes nor tear them from the sight of his dead father, the martyr, the man who had been the most important person in his life. His fingers were in pain, so hard was he pushing against the glass, wishing it would vanish so that he could pull his father out and save him. Thoroughly helpless, completely defeated and in incredible despair, Lloyd pounded on the glass and shouted. He shouted many things, none of which he would recall, for everything seemed silent to him, as if the world had lost its hold over him and he was very far away, trapped in some dark prison. He shouted and pounded, pressing his face against the glass, doing anything he could to make it all end, to make it all reverse, anything to stop the horrible hand of fate from dealing him this card. Anything to change what had just happened.

He was being dragged back, by Amata and by Charon. Where the ghoul had come from, he didn't know, or even how much time had passed since his father's death. Time had no meaning for him in this moment. As they pulled him away, never once did his eyes leave the door of the chamber, that one simple thing that had separated him from his father and he struggled against them every single second, not even sure why. They dragged him out of the rotunda, into the hall and down a manhole which led into the tunnels beneath the memorial. Now in darkness, Lloyd grew quiet, his shouting ceasing as he shut his eyes and merely wept.

* * *

Harkness and Lucy had heard the explosions. In fact, he had determined that they had come from near the Jefferson Memorial. But only as they cautiously neared it did they realize the extent of the threat that faced it. Quickly crouching behind a broken pillar near the street, they looked out at the Jefferson Memorial.

"Who are they?" Lucy asked as they looked at the soldiers in the strange black power armor. They were moving about the building's exterior, some of them carrying weapons, others strange metal cases. They seemed to be setting something up with equipment they took out of the cases.

Harkness shook his head. "I don't know... but Lloyd might need our help. In fact, I'm sure he does."

Sneaking closer, they saw the soldiers disembark from the strange aircrafts, which took off after depositing their troops. Harkness carefully scanned the aircrafts, discovering them to be VB-02 Vertibirds, which he had only read about once in a book long ago. Scanning the soldiers, he saw that they carried advanced plasma and laser weaponry in addition to their advanced power armor.

"Where did they come from?" Lucy wondered aloud.

Harkness could only guess at their identity for a brief moment, processing hundreds of possible scenarios in his mind, when he realized something a second too late to react. For all of Harkness' advanced technology, even he was able to be caught by surprise. Two Enclave soldiers decloaked behind them; Harkness heard the subtle sound of their stealth technology disengaging and turned to face them. One pulled out a ripper and charged forward while the other equipped a plasma rifle.

Lucy turned and her eyes widened. Harkness was forced to push her aside, to the ground, in order to save her from the green blast of concentrated plasma. The soldier with the ripper neared, and he immediately dropped low and tackled the man's legs, using the weight of the power armor to roll the soldier over his back. The android stood up and immediately dropped back down to dodge a shot from the plasma rifle the other soldier wielded.

Now lying next to the soldier on the ground and reacting as fast as possible, Harkness grabbed the chainsaw-like knife and, using all the strength his mechanical body could muster, thrust it into the Enclave soldier's neck, a vulnerable point between the helmet and torso armor.

Harkness leapt to his feet, pulling out his own plasma rifle as he did so. He ducked under the other soldier's next shot, then got one off of his own, shooting a bolt into the man's chest, which, while not fully penetrating the armor, still caused him to stumble. Harkness charged forward and brought up his foot, kicking the gun from the man's hands. Taking advantage of the soldier's momentary confusion, he caught the falling plasma rifle in his other hand, aimed them both at the man's body and fired, killing him instantly.

Lucy looked up in time to see it all happen. It was like she was back in Arefu, watching him fend off Blackwell's mutant vampires. She still couldn't believe his combat prowess.

Immediately, Harkness whirled around and continued to use both rifles to shoot at an advancing squad of the enemy soldiers from the Jefferson Memorial he had detected only a few short seconds ago. They scattered under the volley of the plasma fire, but one of them, someone that Harkness did not see, was aiming at him with a much more powerful and precise weapon. This commander, wearing a military uniform, aimed the strange-looking pistol and fired.

A blue bolt of energy, no larger than a softball, surged through the air like lightning. Though Harkness saw it coming with his extremely fast brain, he knew that his body, limited by its own human design, would not be able to dodge the attack. The blue energy impacted on his face, washing over it like a can of burning, searing paint. Harkness dropped the plasma rifle that wasn't his and fell to his knees, grabbing his face.

"Christopher!" Lucy cried at the sight of him being shot in the face. But he looked alive! He was covering his face with his hand, but he looked alive!

She got up and ran towards him, ignoring the dull pain in her arm and praying to God that none of the laser flashes or plasma blasts that the soldiers were now firing would hit her. She reached him and grabbed his hand, shouting at him to follow her if he could still hear. He could. Holding onto his hand, they ran from Project Purity, towards Rivet City.

However, Harkness broke off from their path, pulling his hand out of hers. She turned back to see him running along a series of platforms placed just above the water's surface that led to another part of the ship. The path led up to a door. His back was to her, and she had not looked at his face clearly since he had been hit. He ran up to the door and opened it, turning the valve with all of his might. Around him, laser blasts struck the rusted metal side of the door.

'Must reach Pinkerton,' his thoughts amounted to. 'Must seal off door... No. I have to wait for Lucy. But... No. No! I won't leave her.'

The soldiers were still firing at her. She ran towards the platforms and leapt onto them, heading towards the door that Harkness had gone through. She made it inside with a red laser cutting into the metal of the doorway before Harkness closed it behind her and then pulled a lever, locking the door and barring it from entry.

Lucy, upon running inside, had nearly run into a railing. She leaned over it now, panting heavily, gasping as she spoke, "Who were those guys? What the hell were they wearing? How'd they get such good guns?" Harkness answered none of her questions. When she finally caught her breath a moment later, she looked to see Harkness leaning against a wall, his back to her. "Chris... Christopher?" she asked. "I... I saw you get hurt... Are you alright?"

From behind, he looked okay, so she neared him. "Stay back," he said sternly, causing her to pause in place.

"…Christopher?"

He was standing with his back to her still. "Lucy... you shouldn't see my face."

"Is it bad? Maybe I can help you—"

"No. You can't," he interrupted her. "It's..."

He stopped talking, and his shoulders seemed to sag. His head fell forward a bit as he stared at the ground in silence.

"Christopher..." she said softly, nearing him, but making no move to turn him around. "If you're hurt... we should see a doctor..."

"That's why I ran in here..." he told her. "This part of the ship is the home of a doctor. Now, Lucy... I think you should let me walk past and you don't look at my face. Pinkerton... that's the doc... He can help me. But you... you wouldn't like this. You shouldn't see it. It might... frighten you."

She was at a bit of a loss for words. "Christopher... I want to help you..."

"You can't. Not in this way," he said. "Lucy... if you see this... what you, and I have... whatever it is, whatever it might amount to… You wouldn't want it anymore. If you want what we have... you have to let me by and don't try to look at my face."

She didn't understand. "Christopher... I won't leave you, if, if you have a scar or… or whatever, from this, or if you get... I don't know, disfigured." She approached him from behind, reaching out and touching his hand. "I... I like you, Christopher. Maybe it's weird, maybe it's because of all the things you and I have been through in a short time, but... but I'm not going to abandon you just because you got hurt. Are you worried about that?" Her thoughts still went to Lloyd, Amata and the others, wondering why Christopher was acting so strange in the face of this most recent injury.

In fact, once she thought more about it, she found herself wondering how he was still speaking. She didn't recognize the kind of blast that had hit him, but he was still forming words and speaking in a tone that made it seem as though he weren't in pain. Until she saw his face, she wouldn't know the extent of the injury, but his words worried her.

He was silent for a few more seconds. To Lucy, those seconds passed by normally, but to Harkness, they felt like incredibly long as he contemplated his next actions in the face of this newest development. Much of him was still questioning the appearance of the soldiers outside of the Jefferson Memorial. He reanalyzed their armor, weaponry and vehicles, searching his memory banks for any kind of symbol or hint as to their identity. He found none. Their sudden appearance, their motivations, their overtly hostile attitude and their technology all added up to a powerful mystery he didn't have enough evidence to solve.

But now, as he felt his face and knew what was now there, he was faced with the greatest personal moral quandary he had encountered since his reawakening and it was taking up a considerable amount of his brainpower as the android discovered he was at odds with himself, unable to properly understand or analyze the emotions raised by the idea of revealing to this girl his true nature as a synthetic being. His human side found himself wanting to hide it but felt guilt over lying to this girl he had come to like, while his android side attempted to calculate incalculable data introduced to his system by these emotions and came up with no easy results.

Harkness, ever since starting this relationship with Lucy, had been quite confounded by the rules of having a relationship and had been struggling to discover his place in one. If Lucy's interactions with him were any indication, he had been doing just fine… until now. In a way, he had always felt uneasy about hiding his android identity from her and originally didn't know why. He did now, though. He was afraid of her reaction. Everything he had just told her was a result of what his human side, as he had just discovered, had come to fear: rejection. But not just the rejection of a man from a woman, it was the rejection of an android from a human, of something purely organic reacting to a synthetic being made to seem organic in a clever deception. Some of his earliest thoughts while he was on the run from the Institute were about how he was going to fit into human society due to him being a fundamentally inhuman creation. Aside from the fear of being recaptured and stripped of his identity, he was afraid that he would never truly experience the humanity he was built to emulate.

During his time with his memory wiped, living as a human, thinking as a human, had given him that. He finally had that perspective he had searched for, in addition to his reactivated android senses. And now, he realized that his time with Lloyd and Amata, observing their relationship and his time with Lucy building one of his own had caused him to start feeling something he couldn't describe or even begin to understand the full extent of. He didn't know how powerful it would become, or how long it would last, but a large part of his mind, his human half, knew that he wanted it, longed for it and was willing to fight to keep it. Furthermore, lying about being human, even by simply not admitting that he was an android, was causing him regret and his android side simply couldn't comprehend either of the emotions.

So, without thinking or calculating, he took a risk and asked a bold question.

"Lucy... If I told you I loved you, what would you do?"

She was caught by surprise from the question and blinked a few times. "You... you love me?" she asked softly.

"If I told you I did... what would you do?"

Her physical reaction was small, but he had caused a stirring in her. Her hand left his. The attack outside had left her stunned from its suddenness, and now this? "I… I don't know what to say, Christopher. I don't know if I love you. I feel… like we haven't known each other long enough. I… like you, Christopher, I do, but… love? I don't…" she trailed off, unable to find more words.

Harkness turned his head ever so slightly, not enough to see anything or allow her to see anything. His voice was fractured, as though he were fighting to say every word through confusion and bewilderment. "I'm sorry, but… I don't know the distinction between the two. I don't know what I'm feeling. I know I like you, too. I've never loved before. I'm at a loss, Lucy. Is it love? I… I don't know."

Lucy's breathing slowed as she felt her heart beating, not just from the excitement of battle, but from this strange new behavior in Christopher. Determined to learn just what this was all about, she demanded, "Christopher, I want to know what's wrong. Tell me." She wished she could see his face right now. Was he delusional from being hurt? She didn't know and it was greatly worrying her.

After an awkward moment, he said, "Then... before this happens, Lucy... I want you to understand... that I believe, I truly believe, that I have come to begin to love you. I might be saying this too early, you and I... haven't known each other long... But what I feel for you must be love, because I am unable to describe it in any other way or with any other word. 'Like' seems too weak a word." He seemed to give her a moment to reply, but when none came, he added, "I wanted you to know that before I told you the truth."

She didn't know what he was really saying, or at least, his words hinted at something she couldn't begin to guess at. What did he mean by the truth? "I understand your words, but... but why are you saying all of this? Please, Christopher, just tell me what's wrong. Please."

Harkness cleared his throat. "Before you knew me as Christopher, I went by another name. A name given to me by a place where they named you with numbers and letters, where your only individuality was your designation. I was called A3-21. I wasn't ever born, Lucy, in the sense you would understand it." He turned around. "I was built."

Though the light inside this broken-down section of the ship was dim, she saw what he had been hiding. From the center of his forehead, to the top of his lips, the complete frame of his upper face had had its flesh burnt off. The skin around his eyes, nose and upper cheeks, though some of it remained, was almost entirely gone. Where the flesh was burnt, black-red tender flesh halted, giving way to what had been underneath it all along.

Underneath was not bone, was not human. It was metal. Smooth and glimmering, save for parts of it that were scorched or had small bits of synthetic flesh still stuck to it. The metal resembled a skull, and the whites of the eyes were completely gone, revealing two green bionic eyes. His right side was worse, as the blast had hit him more on the right side. His right forehead was more exposed, and the majority of his right cheek was gone, leaving his white teeth and red, sinewy synthetic flesh open for her eyes to see.

Her hands found her quivering mouth and they cupped it. Her eyes were wide with confusion and a little bit of fear, which pained him in ways he had no way of preparing himself for. Her eyes manically darted about his injured face, taking in every detail, every little line in the metal and the way it glinted amidst the blood that coated some of it. He spoke again and it was truly jarring to see his face move like this, with the teeth and cheek muscles moving with nothing concealing them.

"I'm sorry I never told you, Lucy... I'm so sorry... but I'm not human. I'm an android, a synthetic life form, built to replicate humans in every possible way and replicate them perfectly: behavior, speech, bodily function, mannerisms... emotions... everything."

After a moment, she finally found the courage to speak, and even then it was only in short, stuttering bursts. "And... And... so... you're a... m-machine?"

Harkness' bright green mechanical eyes averted away from her as he was wounded by the term. His only response was, "Technically."

She stood there, completely dumfounded. "Oh..."

* * *

The world seemed to catch up to him. Sound returned, like he had just exited a body of water and the liquid was cleared from his ears. Amata was over him, holding his face in her hands. "Lloyd!" she was saying, over and over. He opened his eyes, staring up into hers. "Lloyd!" she frantically cried again.

"I'm here..." he whispered. He could see Amata's face in the light from her Pip-Boy and the expression of sadness that it wore. She hugged him, holding him tight, and he did the same.

"We need to keep moving!" Madison insisted. She leaned down. "Lloyd! We need to run! Now!"

Lloyd looked up at Madison and her team. Charon and Russ were there; Russ was whining quietly and licking his hand. Charon was holding the manhole shut with its handle and barring it with a metal pole he had found.

"Lloyd! We must escape!" Li said, echoing some of his father's last words. In a moment, Lloyd was back up on his feet, his eyes wide but alert.

"Where are we?" he shakily asked, looking around and not recognizing the dark tunnel.

"The tunnels underneath the memorial," Madison answered. "We've figured that we can take them directly to the Citadel, to the Brotherhood. To safety."

Lloyd didn't reply. He seemed elsewhere. Inside, he was once more being torn apart as he recalled the events of the past few moments.

"Lloyd!" Li shouted, snapping him back into reality once more. "This is no time for grieving!"

He knew she was right. A part of him fought for control, and he told them all, "Al-alright... follow me..." Though his words were not loud or particularly inspiring, nobody was going to be picky at a time like this.

As they walked, Lloyd suddenly paused. "Wait... are we missing something?"

Amata looked around. "Charon? Where's... Uncle Leo?"

They all looked back at the tall ghoul, who merely closed his eyes and shook his head solemnly.

"They... they killed him?" Amata asked, her voice nearly breaking.

"We must move, or his sacrifice will have meant nothing," Charon said. "Lloyd. Lead on."

They all looked at him, and he looked at them, uncertain and pained. But still, he said, "Follow me."

At first, they were able to avoid the Enclave soldiers in the tunnels. But their probing eyebots soon found them, alerting the soldiers to their position. Running ahead with a quick pace, they found themselves facing down a locked door. Madison tried desperately to open it via a nearby terminal while Lloyd, Amata and Charon held off the oncoming Enclave soldiers. The surviving Rivet City science team members, Daniel, Garza and Alex, cowered nearby.

As the soldiers caught up with their position, Lloyd fired at them relentlessly, finding that the blind action of violence and combat offered a significant distraction from his pain. When the door was opened, Amata had to pull on Lloyd's shoulder to get him to move. He tore himself away from his covered position just before a grenade would have been thrown at his feet. They heard the explosion behind them as they continued to move through the tunnels, knowing that their enemies were right behind them.

A brief stop was made due to one of Madison's team, Garza, having a heart condition. Lloyd did not skip a beat and simply handed Madison his medical kit, telling her to use whatever she needed from it in order to keep the man going. They were moving once more before the Enclave could catch up to them.

They moved further through the tunnels, now encountering the feral ghouls who infested its most deep reaches. Through it all, fighting through the occasional group of ferals, the Enclave was on their heel every step of the way, firing plasma and laser weapons at their backs. More ghouls stood in their way, but Lloyd, Amata, Charon and Russ cut through their ranks until, at last, they found a door with a Brotherhood of Steel member behind it. He wielded a flamethrower. He ordered them to get up to the surface with a nearby ladder, and then fended off the ghouls with his fire-spewing weapon to give them time. To keep the Enclave from further pursuit, he closed off the tunnel with a nearby valve, sealing it off with a thick door. Once all of the civilians were above ground, he followed them up the ladder, closing the manhole behind him.

Upon reaching the surface, their eyes were stung with the light of the mid-afternoon sun. They weren't far from the imposing Citadel and its Brotherhood patrols. As a group, they approached its front gate, where a knight told them that they could not enter. Dr. Li rushed up to an intercom alongside the door and turned it on, shouting into it, "Lyons! I know you're in there, I know you can hear me! You open this goddamn door right now!"

The knight forced her away from the intercom, but a moment later, the massive door to the Citadel opened. They all watched the massive slab of metal that was its gate rise as it was pulled upwards by a crane. Dirt and scraps of metal fell off of the bottom of it as a hallway leading into the Citadel proper was revealed behind the slab. Madison looked back at them and weakly told them, "Come on... let's get inside. Elder Lyons will want to talk to us... you especially, Lloyd."

Lloyd followed them inside with a blank look on his face and a faraway stare in his gaze. He felt like he really wasn't there and that nothing of what he had just been through had actually happened. But as his feet shuffled against the dusty concrete below, he felt their pain from running through the tunnels and he knew that it was all real, that it had happened, all of it. He looked out at the water one last time before it disappeared from his sight.

It didn't look quite as blue as it had only earlier that morning, only a short time ago, when everything seemed to make sense and be coherent. He felt as though that up until this moment he had been living inside a dream and that the dream had slowly become a nightmare, with today being the final step in that process.

No... Rather, he felt as though the dream had broken and it could not be repaired.

* * *

In the upper chamber of the now heavily irradiated purifier, behind the thick glass that kept the bulk of the radiation from spilling out into the rotunda, Autumn's hand twitched, then clenched into a fist.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review or continue; preferably both.**


	19. Allies in High Places

Amata and Lloyd both sat upon a creaky bed in a small room with cracked walls and dim lights. They had been escorted here upon entering the Citadel and were told to wait within. Though either of them could check their Pip-Boy to learn how long they had been here, they didn't. They simply sat on the edge of the bed with Lloyd's right arm around her back, her head resting on his shoulder and her free hands wrapped around his left hand, delicately tracing her fingers across his skin.

Silence held them and wouldn't let go. In each of their eyes was a deep and apparent pain, for both had, in only slightly different ways, now completely lost all that they once held dead in their past lives except for each other. Their home, their remaining family and any friends they had left behind in Vault 101... All were taken away by the Enclave. Lloyd's hand tightened around hers. Sometimes, a tear would snake out of their eyes and run down their cheeks. But they had already, it seemed, cried themselves dry.

Speech didn't come to either of them, only thoughts they both knew they shared. So much had happened, so many terrible things, in such a short amount of time. It was much like the day they had left the vault, only magnified to a level they had never thought possible. At their feet, curled up and very still was Russ, their faithful hound. The canine could sense their pain and it hurt him. He obediently waited for their attention, ready to respond in any way they needed.

Autumn's words echoed in their minds, as did James' final message. They couldn't stop seeing and hearing that fateful moment in the purifier as it replayed in their minds over and over, cementing it. Not even the smallest of details would spare them the pleasure of being forgotten. Every second, every word and every crushing emotion experienced in that room stayed and wouldn't go away.

The door to the room opened and all three of them looked up to see a man enter. He was old, with a grey beard and a balding head with only a few thin strands of grey hair. His sun-kissed skin was tanned and his face was wrinkled, yet there was a great poise about the man, an aura that indicated intelligence, experience and wisdom. He wore a blue robe which opened in the front like a trench coat and had a rising collar. Underneath it, he wore a bodyglove, a grey jumpsuit that included gloves and boots. The outfit looked very interesting and it obviously offered him quite a degree of mobility, though he merely entered the room and sat in a chair across from the two of them. Outside, two Brotherhood soldiers closed the door and then stood guard alongside it.

"I must admit," he began softly in a weathered, yet welcoming voice, "That I wondered when the day would come when we would meet. When I first heard your story, both from my daughter and from Three Dog's tales of you and your allies, I knew it was only a matter of time. The son of James, and James himself returned to the wasteland. I only wish it were under different and far more forgiving circumstances." His soft eyes now drifted to them. "Hello," he greeted, offering them a smile. "I am Owyn Lyons, Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel. I lead this chapter."

"You're Sarah's father? The leader of the Brotherhood?" Lloyd asked as he looked up at the Elder.

"This chapter of it," the man clarified. He looked at Lloyd with a keen eye, scanning the teen up and down. "You're your father's son, alright."

Lloyd's head picked up a bit. "You... knew my father?"

"I can see the resemblance, in more ways than one," Owyn told him. "Yes... I knew him. A shame, a true tragedy, what happened to him. I've gotten the full details from Madison, and I'm truly sorry this has happened, with every fiber of my being. You have my full condolences. James was taken far before his time… but so many are, in this land, in this time."

Amata wiped her eyes and straightened a little. "Is Madison alright?" she asked.

The Elder nodded. "Indeed. A fair bit shaken up, I'd say, but she's well."

A moment passed. Lloyd seemed lost in thought as he blinked a few times before asking, "Owyn Lyons... Are you related to Sarah Lyons?" He remembered their encounter with the Sentinel, the leader of Lyons' Pride, outside of Galaxy News Radio.

Owyn chuckled a bit. "I should. She is my daughter, and one of the finest soldiers I've ever had the pleasure of commanding."

"We met her outside of Galaxy News Radio," Amata recalled.

"Indeed. I was briefed on the meeting, which brings me back to my reason for being here. I've wanted to speak to the two of you for some time now. Ever since your encounter at G.N.R., reports of you and your little "adventures" have constantly been landing on my desk. You first caught our full attention when, during your interview with Three Dog, you mentioned you had learned, firsthand, about how super mutants are being created."

"You didn't know?" Lloyd asked.

Owyn shook his head and sighed. "We've been fighting the super mutants for many, many years, Lloyd. In all that time, all we have managed to do is contain the threat. We never once ever got a super mutant to talk, so we never knew where they were coming from. We suspected that it was from somewhere outside the ruins, but that's it. And although, unfortunately, the mutant you spoke to did not know where it truly was, he told you the reason behind why they kidnap people."

"To make more of them," Amata finished the thought.

"A frightening revelation, and one we had considered. You confirmed it. But, it would explain quite soundly how they always manage to keep coming and coming without end. The fact that you discovered this, and we could not, was enough to get my attention. I regret that we could not intervene earlier than now... for we may have managed to prevent this foul thing from occurring."

On that topic, Lloyd quickly asked, "Who are the Enclave? What do you know about them? I want to know everything." Lloyd's voice was a bit more determined, a bit more passionate.

The man got a faraway look in his eyes. "Far more than I'd like, I'm afraid. And also far more than anyone here in the Citadel, I would venture. And enough to know that they are the single greatest threat to the Capital Wasteland we have ever encountered. This is not the first time the Brotherhood has clashed with the Enclave. Over thirty years ago, out west, in California, we came into conflict with them. Their goal was the deaths of all those they deemed impure; essentially, all outside of their own ranks. The Enclave moved with purpose and were devastatingly effective in their military actions. Their science was their greatest weapon, however. They had produced a powerful virus capable of targeting perhaps everyone and everything in the world, save for their own ranks. But they were defeated by a tribal, their base destroyed and their leader, a man named President Richardson, killed. I know not how they have come here, but now it appears the threat that previously, we could only guess at, is just as real and terrible as before. Now, we have this John Henry Eden to contend with."

"Who are they really?" Lloyd asked. "What do they want?"

"The Enclave could best be described as the last remnants of the pre-war United States Government. They went into hiding, and now, they believe that all of what was once America is theirs to have by right. And with advanced power armor, weaponry and other technology than that, I fear that they have all the more strength than is required to take this wasteland for their own, all in the guise of restoring peace and order, as before. I don't know their endgame, but whatever they plan with the purifier cannot be the work of true good."

"But you have power armor, and you have weapons as well," Amata pointed out. "And you're going to fight them, aren't you?"

Owyn nodded. "We are, Amata. Of that I promise you. I'm afraid we must. The Enclave has gone too far. They have taken the Jefferson Memorial, and if left unchecked, will take much more than that. I know they will. However, they are also in possession of greater technology. It is a sad thing, that we thought ourselves the most technologically capable faction in the wastes, only to be put in our place by the sudden resurgence of the Enclave. They use better power armor, better weaponry and have aircraft transportation; those vertibird vehicles."

"Where did they get all of that?" she asked.

"The Enclave has been in hiding since the Great War. When they emerged on the West Coast, they dominated the battlefields across the Core Region with superior arms and armor. In all likelihood, they have simply been manufacturing their technology all along, training with it, waiting for the right time to strike. Now, having failed, they have come here, though for what exact reason I cannot fathom. We know nothing about them now, where their base is or how many they number in. They are a daunting and frustrating enemy due to their skills at secrecy."

"If I may... change the subject…" Lloyd began, getting wary of the threat the Enclave presented, "what is the Brotherhood of Steel? I'd like a better idea of its origin, its ideals. I only know what others have told me, but I think you'd have better input. We only learned some of its history from a knight at G.N.R. a while back. If it's not too much trouble."

"I'd be happy to exposit a bit about our history," Owyn assured him. "The Brotherhood means some different things to different people. We are meant to help humanity, but this can be done in different ways. The Brotherhood was founded on the principals of finding and claiming old-world technology to ensure its proper use and archival so that the Great War could never happen again. We are a splinter group that was sent east to America's former capital to search for technology and to investigate the rumors of super mutant activity, which was odd, for super mutants only appeared in the west. But, when we arrived, I saw the state of the people of this land and rebelled against my orders. I made it my mission to help them.

"Originally, we were only interested in technology which would be used back west. I decided to help the people of the Capital Wasteland with it. When I announced my intentions that we would stay here, combat the super mutants and restore order to this land, many called me a hero. Others called me a traitor. Those that disagreed left, painting their power armor black and red. I called them Outcasts, a name which they now wear proudly in defiance of my motives."

Lloyd looked at Amata, then back to Lyons. "We've met them," he said. "They weren't exactly... good at conversation."

"They intentionally make themselves that way, I'm afraid. They refuse to help those in need, caring only about their goal, our original mission."

"For what it's worth, I believe you did the right thing, though," Amata said. "The people needed a force like yours."

"I believe that the choice I made was the right one, yes. It pains me that I brought about the Outcasts, for they are my greatest mistake, but a mistake I am proud of nonetheless. There are far many more troubles in this wasteland than they, I am afraid. But your question, Lloyd, about the ideology of the Brotherhood... Honor. Strength. Courage. Loyalty. Selflessness. Sacrifice. These are things that are difficult to uphold in a time and land like this, but we do our best to ensure that we always maintain those ideals above all others. Often, we are more defined by our trials to achieve these things than we are by upholding them.

"The Outcasts disagreed with my interpretation of our founding tenants. I am not angry with them, for they have made their choice. I do not regret losing standing with the other Elders, back out west, because I honestly believe that we are one of the few things standing in the way of the people of this land and a gruesome death. But it has been hard, and long, and we have seen very few victories. But in all my time, back out west, travelling here and staying in the Capital Wasteland, I have learned that humanity, for all its flaws, is worth fighting and dying for. And for good people with the power to help others, to stand by and do nothing while innocents die, is nothing short of killing them ourselves. And I have met good, honest people outside of the Brotherhood. People like your father, Lloyd."

Lloyd nodded absent-mindedly as his thoughts went back to his father. When his gaze met Elder Lyons' once more, the Elder saw a new, determined fire burning within them. "Project Purity must be reclaimed," Lloyd said firmly. "My father found a way to make it work. It can be done."

"Make no mistake, Lloyd. I agree with you. We offered our protection to your father and his team long ago, but mistakes were made, and with the Outcast schism, the project fell apart. Now, nineteen years later, he returns with his son, prepared to finish what he started. Then... ruin once more. Retribution must be dealt to those responsible, and the project must be completed, or else James will have died for nothing. Madison has told me what James needed, and the Brotherhood is prepared to help you two in any way you need."

"That is very good of you," Amata said, surprised.

"It is the least we can do after you two have endured so much. Lloyd," Owyn said, looking at the young man, "this project was your father's. It is yours by birthright. It is only right and just that you work towards reclaiming it."

"I will," Lloyd swore, swallowing back some of his pain. Amata gently squeezed his hand, lending her encouragement. She shared his sentiments and wanted just as much as he to avenge themselves upon the Enclave.

Owyn seemed proud of Lloyd's response. "I am glad. In three hours, there will be a meeting, an assembly of the most important members of our chapter. Myself, the head scribes and the Lyons' Pride. I would like you two to be there."

Amata suddenly spoke up, "Where is our friend, Charon?"

Owyn's expression seemed to soften a bit with sympathy. "Your friend, the ghoul, yes. He is a tough, stoic man. During your escape, he suffered an injury to his torso, one that he likely hid from you all. He was hurt, quite badly."

Lloyd and Amata were shocked. "He seemed alright during our escape..." Lloyd trailed off.

"Yes... I've seen men like him. He was not willing to compromise your lives by asking you to slow, or stop, or tend to his wounds. He silently took the pain from the plasma bolt and fought on. When he came into the Citadel, he nearly collapsed. He is being treated right now."

"Just how badly was he hurt?" Amata asked.

All Lyons said, in a mournful tone, was, "Quite badly."

Lloyd's eyes drifted down the floor. "He's a true friend... one that I don't know how to repay."

"You can repay his courage with survival, Lloyd. Rest assured, he will recover eventually. Ghoul or not, he is a good soul and will be given all the care we can offer him." Owyn stood, and said, "In three hours' time, head for the Great Hall. Any Brotherhood member will guide you there, should you become lost. If you are emotionally unavailable, we will understand."

Lloyd shook his head. "I think… I think we can make it." He looked uncertainly at Amata, who averted her eyes downwards for a short moment before looking up at the Elder.

"You have our word," she told him.

"I am glad that you are capable of maintaining rationality at a time like this," Owyn said sincerely. "Know this, Wandering Pair. Everyone in the Brotherhood, though some may need to warm up to you, will welcome and honor your presence. You are among friends and allies now, for we are all united in this effort against our enemy. If you ever need to talk to anyone about anything, we will lend you our ears. You are not alone in the wasteland any longer."

"Thank you," Amata replied. She gripped Lloyd's hand a little tighter. "We have each other, but it is good to know that we have support elsewhere."

Elder Lyons nodded his head once. As he was about to leave, Lloyd said, "Elder Lyons, one more thing." The man turned around. "If you intend to fight the Enclave, then I want to be a part of it. I would like to ask permission to join this Brotherhood."

Amata looked up at Lloyd, seeing how serious he was. She looked to the Elder. "And I as well," she said.

A flash of something came across Lyons' eyes, which Lloyd thought looked like pride. "We would be honored to have you among our ranks, for you have proven yourselves more than capable of surviving the wasteland, and that alone is half of the battle we face daily. We will discuss this further later, after the meeting. But until then, consider yourselves Initiates of the Brotherhood of Steel."

He left then and the two looked at each other. For the first time since their arrival, a faint measure of comfort painted their faces. "Among friends," he repeated the Elder's words.

Amata quickly rose to crush Lloyd in a tight hug, burying her face in his chest. He returned it with just as much vigor. She let out a steadying breath and said, "Lloyd... I don't know what's going to happen now. Things seemed simple before... well, maybe not so simple, but easy to understand, at least. The future is more uncertain now than it ever was... but I'm glad I still have you."

"I am too," he said, holding her close and tight to his body. He was reminded of how lucky he thought he was to have her with him, and the pain from losing his father wasn't as strong as it was a moment before thanks to her. Being near her, holding her, kissing her, all brought him a measure of peace and serenity that he desperately needed, and she felt the same about him.

Nearby, Russ looked up at them and seemed happier himself, as if sensing their bond. His tail softly brushed the ground as they held each other, sharing in each other's pain, both reminding the other that they were still together, no matter what had happened.

* * *

Pinkerton's lab was brighter than other parts of the less-populated half of the ship. It was there that Harkness and Lucy now sat, and Pinkerton as well, of course, as the android recounted the tale of his life to her. His earliest days, his career as a hunter of his own kind, his eventual realization of his "false humanity" and his desire to escape because of it, then his journey to here with the assistance of the railroad and his final moments before going to Pinkerton for a mind wipe and facial reconstructive surgery.

He spoke little of the Institute itself, the facility in the Commonwealth in which he was "born," yet went into some detail about their experiments. It was a place dominated by technology, with the androids representing their highest achievements in science. The Institute itself was built out of the remains of MIT in the skeletal remains of Boston, surrounded by a massive wall, patrolled endlessly, accessible by a great bridge, and it only allowed entrance to those they judged worthy based on their intelligence and aptitude. The Institute was largely solitary and ignorant of the needs and pain of the wastelanders around it, and among them were the Railroad, who helped smuggle escaped androids out of the Commonwealth, himself included.

Through it all, he spoke with his damaged face, his true eyes and parts of his metal interior showing. Though it greatly unnerved Lucy to behold, she listened to his story in its entirety, fascinated by it.

Harkness then recounted his life as, well, Harkness. From the moment of his awakening in Pinkerton's lab to his rise to chief of security in Rivet City, then to the day Lloyd and Amata came to him with the revelation that he was, in fact, not human. Though he hadn't lived long, his android reawakening had split him into, effectively, two people but with one mind shared. It was difficult to explain, but he elaborated on it, saying that he tended to view things from two perspectives: one human and another more like a machine.

When Harkness reached the part of the tale where Lucy came in, she decided to stop him while he was ahead. "Don't worry," she told him, "I know how that part ends." He wasn't quite sure he knew what her tone implied, but didn't press her.

Pinkerton, while amused by the story, picked up his shotgun and told them, "I don't know if those soldiers are going to follow you two in here, but I'm going to go out and lay a fresh series of traps. I'm sure you have... other things to talk about, anyway. Carry on. And don't touch anything in here," he warned, before leaving them. He shut the door behind him.

Harkness turned back to Lucy, and she looked at him with an expression that was difficult to read. After a moment, it grew awkward.

"I'm sorry I lied to you," he began, trying to make conversation.

She shook her head. "Don't be... It's weird, and I don't think anybody's ever really gone through this kind of thing, but... I'm trying to understand your reasoning behind it." Her eyes drifted a little. "Were you... ever going to tell me? If I hadn't found out?"

Harkness' green, mechanical eyes fell to the table at which they sat. "I... don't know."

"So you don't plan that far ahead?" she asked.

He looked back up. "I plan for the future the way any human does, Lucy. Which is to say, I have little control over events that have not yet happened, so I tend not to... as you say, plan ahead."

"But you can calculate things at the speed of light, right?"

"Not exactly, but in a figure of speech, yes."

"So... based on accumulated knowledge and reason, you can make pretty clear educated guesses, can't you?"

"Yes."

"So based on everything you knew about me, would you ever have told me or not?"

He looked at her. Had he still had eyes and a brow, his look would have been sympathetic. "I think I would have."

"Think?" she asked, a small hint of skepticism coloring her voice. "How does an android think, exactly, Christopher?"

"How does a human?" he countered.

"We... we just do," she replied, at a loss of words when it came to an answer.

"The human brain is an incredible organ, Lucy. It does so much more than store memories or events. It compares, it reasons, it holds everything that makes us who we are. I was given a brain by people who designed it to be exactly like a human brain. So I ask you, how could I not think exactly like a human does, if my brain is exactly like yours?"

"But how can a... what's the word you used? To call yourself?" she asked.

"Synthetic."

"How can a synthetic's brain be just like a human's? Our bodies are designed to grow, to change and adapt to new things and experiences. We learn from things and those things change who we are as a person."

"My body is designed to be as yours is designed," Harkness simply replied.

"So you're saying that you have a perfect body?"

"Only in the sense that the human body is a perfect design," he said. "Depending on one's point of view, that may or may not be true. Some people think fish have a more logical body structure. Some might think octopi do. In any case, my body was designed to be perfect, but only in the capacity of being like a human's. I'm not saying my own body is perfect from a human comparison. I'm not a Greek god."

She seemed to lose her edge in the debate. She was constantly being reminded that she was talking to a person, and she was convinced he was a person in some form or another, who was vastly her superior in intellect. But she still had doubts that that made him just as human as she.

"I'm just... I'm just trying to understand how you work," she said. "I'm trying as hard as I can, Christopher, but nobody's ever seen something like you before... besides the people who made you, I mean, but I don't think they ever... loved you." She took a moment to say those last words.

"Lucy... I know this is terribly confusing. It's the reason I didn't tell you originally, it's the reason I keep it a secret from everyone I can. Sometimes, people can't understand something as different as I am... and sometimes, that frightens them. People have attacked my kind before, ones who were more open with their true identity."

"It's just so weird, Christopher... You said you loved me."

"I meant every word of it," he insisted.

"But how can you love? How can a... machine have true, honest emotions? Are they actual emotions, or are they the result of… programming?"

"I'll accept being called a machine," Harkness softly said. His voice now carried a small bit of self-righteousness as he continued, "It's a term that can be used for me. I'll never accept it myself, but it is what I am. I was made to be a machine, to hunt other machines. I was made to obey, to function in the exact way I was designed." He looked into her eyes with his. "But I am not a machine on the inside, and when I say that, I don't mean beneath my skin. I mean my soul."

She was still for a moment. "I don't mean to insult you... by calling you a machine, or with this question... but how can you have a soul?"

Harkness leaned back a bit. He appeared to be thinking things over quite significantly. "I don't know the answer to that question, Lucy. But I wish I did. More than anything. There are nights when I look up at the stars and wonder about myself. How can I have a soul? Or is having a soul a purely human thing, and I merely think I have a soul, in order to more accurately depict a human? Is my soul merely an idea, created by my human side to justify its existence? Or is it the result of a programming error, one that grew exponentially and resulted in my humanity? Or do humans even have souls in the first place? Is a soul but a concept made by humans, for humans only to have? Do any animals have souls? Are there souls in mutations that yet live?"

Lucy shook her head, unable to answer any of those powerful questions.

"What I know is this, Lucy," he said, continuing in her silence, "anything you can feel, I can feel. Anything a human can think, I can think. I know this; in fact I am more certain about it than anything else. I know that it isn't the result of an error in my programming, or a bug in the system, or anything like that. However one defines a soul, I have it. I don't know what it is, or how I got it but I have it. I know I do, because it is the only explanation for how I stopped being an android and started being... human."

Lucy listened to his impassioned words. "But..." she trailed off, then continued, "...what is being human?"

He smiled. "I don't know, Lucy... but I'm confident that not too many people know. Does thinking for the well-being of others make me human? Or is it my ability to contemplate having a soul or the nature of a soul? Or perhaps forming ideas about what happens in death, does that make me human? Does any of that make anyone human? Perhaps, but perhaps not. Either way, those are all things humans think about from time to time. Is the ability to think itself a human quality? I don't believe so, as animals have capacity for thought. Is it a measure of intelligence, then? Again, I think not. There are unintelligent humans, mentally incapable, but do they lack souls? From a human perspective, I cannot believe so. Is it fear, or anger, or jealousy? Or is it love that gives us souls? Or are those themselves merely constructs of the human condition itself, created to justify its own existence? Or are they extensions of the mind, manifestations of it, serving different purposes in different contexts?"

She shook her head with her brows raised. "You're starting to lose me with all the questions, Christopher," she told him.

"Then let me cut to the point. I don't know why I'm human, I don't know what makes a human a human, but I know I am one. Inside, I have a soul, whatever one interprets it to be. I just... am. Like any human simply "is," I exist. I think, I ponder, I get confused, I feel... just like you do."

"But you weren't designed to do all of that, right? So how can you?"

He sighed. "I don't know. It was like slowly waking up, seeing the world around you with changing eyes. One day, I was given an order. Instead of immediately following it, I asked, "Why?" You see, it was like floating to the surface of the water, seeing it coming yet not truly knowing what it was. When I finally broke through, I could breathe. Where I was once blind, I could see."

"It's such an odd story..." she said, shaking her head, trying to comprehend everything he was saying and what it truly meant.

"I know. But consider this: if I asked you what made you human, or anyone human, what would you reply with?"

She thought for a moment. "I would guess... that humans are born."

"Does a baby have a soul?" he asked.

"I... I don't know. I would think so," she answered, though it was, again, a difficult question.

"Consider the following, if you would: from the moment of my birth to my realization of what I truly was, which is to say my "human" awakening or perhaps the moment I became self-aware, is like a baby being born and growing older. When a child grows, his intellect grows, and he starts to perceive the world around him on a much larger, more in-depth scale. He doesn't simply see or hear things, he begins to understand them. Think about them in different ways. Experiences begin to stick in his mind, forming memories, and from memories he draws wisdom. So how am I any different?"

"Born, I said," she replied. "Born. You weren't birthed out of a machine, right?"

"Perhaps not. But I was built by a mechanical process, which you could analogize the birthing process to be similar to, that is I mean you could consider the entire process of a child forming and being born like a function that is mechanical or programmable in nature. And I had parents, in a way, who consented to my creation and built me, much like a mother builds a child, but with obvious different goals and ideals in mind than true parents. But from a more... philosophical standpoint, I would assert that I had parents who made me and raised me and eventually I got smarter and rebelled, like youth often does."

"I don't know if that answered my question or not, to be honest," she said, still slightly lost to his words and in growing awe of both his vocabulary and diction.

"Let me put it this way: I may have been born differently, but if the final result is the same, that is, an adult human male who thinks, feels, fears and loves, how could I not be as human as someone who was born naturally?"

She shook her head. "I... I don't know, Christopher. I've never really thought about things like this. I... really wish I knew so I could tell you, but I didn't. I don't even know if a lot of the things we've talked about even have answers, or if the answers exist but simply cannot be known. Maybe... they just shouldn't be known."

"But what we do know is that I am an android who believes he is human."

"But you don't deny being an android, do you?"

"I did, but only when I purposefully wiped the memory of it from my mind. I believed that if I knew I wasn't human, I never could be fully be one. And in a way, it turns out I was right. No, I don't deny being an android, but I deny not being human... but I don't deny not being fully human. I am human, but without a human body. So, I may be human in mind, but not in body, which is where I get the notion of not being fully human from."

She put her fingers to her temples, letting out a short sigh that was more of a chuckle. "Wow... this is... this is just crazy. I just, um… Yeah. That was all pretty damn confusing."

"Being human often is," he replied coyly.

She looked into his green eyes, which glowed with a cloudy electrical light. "Christopher..."

"Yes?"

"It's strange, Christopher. It's weird... I know I liked you. I don't know if I loved you. But now... I don't even know what to think anymore. I mean, how do I know I'm not an android who wiped her mind too, right?" she joked.

"Well, I can scan you and tell you that you aren't," he answered her seriously.

Her smile faded a bit. "That's also pretty strange... but, I mean, you are an android after all, so why not, right?" He didn't reply. "Look, I guess I'm just trying to keep good humor, despite... this whole thing."

"It's commendable," he offered.

"Thanks." She tried to change the subject a bit. "Do you think Lloyd and the others are alright?"

"I hope so," he said. "But I don't know. Those soldiers certainly shot to kill, if this is any indication." He pointed at his face.

Lucy, in spite of everything, managed a chuckle at that. "So... what happens now?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "What happens now... for us?" he raised the question.

"Well, yeah, what happens..." she trailed off as she realized his meaning. "Oh... 'Us.' Right..."

"If you don't want to... continue... with what we had, I'll understand."

"I... I'm not sure. I honestly just don't know… how it would, you know, work." She looked aside, lightly biting her lip.

His eyes sunk to the floor. "Well, whatever happens and whatever you decide, I want you to know that I enjoyed our time together," he said. "Even if it ended rather abruptly. Which is a shame, I think, because…" he trailed off, leading her to be look curiously at him. His eyes darted up and met her gaze once more and he finished, "I would have liked to have… kept going."

"Maybe it doesn't have to end, yet," she said, scratching her nose a little. She seemed nervous. "I mean... I still don't know, right? But... but maybe..."

His voice seemed a little shaky, but hopeful. "Maybe?"

"Maybe…"

* * *

Lloyd and Amata were now sitting in a room with a round table, hollowed out in the center so people could walk through it and, if need be, stand in its center and address the entire group. Elder Owyn Lyons and Head Scribe Reginald Rothchild, whom the Wandering Pair hadn't been properly introduced to yet, sat next to each other on one end. One half of the table seated the entirety of the Lyons' Pride, the elite squad of Brotherhood soldiers that carried a deserved reputation of being the best of the best. Sarah, their leader, sat next to her father.

Sitting next to Rothchild were three more scribes, who like him, wore red robes, then some more paladins and knights were next to them. Lloyd and Amata both sat at the end of the table opposite Elder Lyons and Scribe Rothchild. Russ sat silently between his two owners. Behind Rothchild sat Dr. Li in a chair leaned against the wall, not quite at the table, as there was little room. As the meeting officially commenced, all Brotherhood members in power armor removed their helmets, placing them in their laps.

Elder Lyons stood up and spoke in a loud voice to ensure all would heed his words. "Brothers, Sisters... Everyone. Dark times are upon us and a shadow from the past now looms over the Capital Wasteland and threatens us all, civilian and soldier alike. This darkness has already claimed the recently revivedProject Purity at the Jefferson Memorial. The Enclave, enemies of freedom and righteousness, have made their intentions all too clear to the only survivors of that attack, survivors who sit among us now."

Some of the people in the room looked at Lloyd, Amata and Madison. Lyons continued, "Our enemy is organized, well-trained, in possession of superior weapons, armor and transportation, and is of unknown number. Their motives are clear, but unfortunately, we know nothing about their base of operations, the true face of their leader and the absolute extent of their power. Worse even yet, they have revealed, in a fit of arrogance, that they have agents among populations across the wastes. Possibly, though it would pain me terribly to consider, agents among our own ranks."

"How did they even come here without anyone knowing?" one of the Pride spoke up, a woman in power armor. "How could they have possibly come all this way, across all of America, to here?"

"Knight Captain Dusk raises a good point," one of the scribes, also a female, agreed, though she went on to say, "But it matters little, I think. At this point we shouldn't concern ourselves with how they got here, because they're here now and that's what's important."

"Scribe Jameson is correct," Rothchild said. "The enemy is here, and they have made bold moves. We need a plan to deal with them."

Another of the Lyons' Pride spoke up, a black man. "Now, I wasn't there when the Brotherhood came into conflict with them out west, and I'm not usually one for diplomacy, but are we absolutely certain that it isn't an option?"

Sarah spoke up, "I've read the reports from California myself, Kodiak. The Enclave won't make friends, and they certainly will not tolerate anyone possessing the kind of weapons and technology that we do. Given everything we've learned about them, I can guarantee that, if we don't act, we'll be wiped off the map by them, sooner or later."

"They plan to establish some kind of new society," Lloyd suddenly spoke up. Everyone looked at him. "Autumn explained it to us himself. The Enclave has the entirety of Vault 101's population locked away somewhere. They took them to have a "working caste" in their new order."

Owyn nodded. "This behavior is not unlike how they acted out west. The Enclave sees all people born in the wastes as filth to be exterminated. Conversely, they think themselves to be superior. As for people within a vault, the Enclave would naturally view them as a valuable resource, as their populations are, for the most part, untouched by the radiation and other hazards of the outside world, which they believe has made all of humanity left in the outside world by the Great War to be exterminated."

"If I may," one of the scribes raised a hand.

"Scribe Peabody, by all means," Rothchild replied.

"How in the hell did the Enclave get their hands on such superior weapons? It's a downright slap in the face that we have spent all this time and effort to be technologically superior to every threat we've come up against, only to be shown up by an organization we didn't even know existed eastward of California."

Rothchild was the one to respond. "The Enclave spent much of their early time simply waiting for the outside world to be in a position they could take advantage of. They must have a wealth of pre-war knowledge and technology that they have been holding onto, possibly even improving upon, for all of these many decades."

One of the paladins near the scribes, Tristan by name, spoke up. "Peabody is right that it the level of tech the Enclave wields is intimidating, but like Jameson, is asking the wrong questions. Instead of focusing on how much better they are, we need to come up with ideas on how to get better ourselves. Which is to say, how can we overcome their weapons and armor, rather than how did they get them in the first place."

Sarah nodded. "I have little doubt in my mind that the Enclave is preparing for a war on their end as well. They've probably been preparing for it for a long time, and we need to make plans of our own to counter it."

"Suggestions, then?" Elder Lyons opened the floor to anyone with any ideas.

"We need to reclaim Project Purity," Lloyd asserted. "Therein lies their true strength."

"And what makes you say that?" one of the Pride asked. "How can one building be that important to them?"

Owyn held up a hand and then looked at Lloyd. "You are correct, Lloyd. That purifier represents much, much more than some people would realize. If the Enclave were to get it fully under their control and succeed in making it function, they would be able to hold the entire wasteland hostage with clean water. Under the flag of the Enclave, the purifier would convince civilians to turn to their side willingly, and consider us terrorists who would threaten the only truly massive source of clean water this land has seen in a very, very long time. The purifier is a bargaining chip for the fate of all souls within the Capital Wasteland."

Rothchild stood up. "Our initial scouting reports and long-rage surveys indicate that the Enclave have, in the short time since taking Project Purity, managed to erect some kind of force field around the perimeter of the Jefferson Memorial. They have the complete area lined with large metal poles that generate a clearly-visible blue wall of energy between them. The Enclave has been lifting people and supplies in and out of the area for hours now with their vertibirds. The efficiency they have displayed in this task is startling and slightly unnerving, to say the least."

"Project Purity can't be the point where they will stop," Sarah insisted. "We cannot forget the fact that they have had their eyebots, and yes, their agents, in this wasteland for years now. We must assume that they know many exploitable facts that they can, and most assuredly will, use against the people of this land. Anything to make the resistance they face less and less a thorn in their side."

"I'm concerned with our own numbers," one of the non-Pride paladins spoke up. "I'm still training our initiates, but we have no true idea how many Enclave soldiers there could be. It sickens me, but even I have to admit that if they launched a full attack on the Citadel, I cannot, in good faith, judge how well or how long we would hold out against such an assault. Even if they were to merely park their vertibirds outside our walls and lay siege to us, rather than invade, our odds still wouldn't put us at much of an advantage."

"They're not impossible to kill," Amata pointed out, causing others to look at her. Lloyd nodded in agreement.

"We killed some of them in the project while escaping," he explained. "Their armor is tough, but they're only human. And we didn't have power armor ourselves. The most we had was a modified laser rifle and normal bullets."

"Kid's right," said a member of the Pride. "We can't allow the Enclave to intimidate us with their mystery. We need to fight them, and we need to win."

"The real question is how do we make the first move against them," Paladin Tristan raised a point. "We don't know the extent of this force field's power, but I think we can safely assume it'll keep us out."

A scribe added, "Perhaps it is designed to allow only people who wear Enclave power armor to pass through?"

"An interesting theory, but likely an irrelevant one," Rothchild said. "The most likely explanation is that is simply keeps what they don't want in, out. I, for one, cannot advocate testing this, for it may be deadly."

Owyn nodded. "Correct. There are many things to consider in our upcoming battle against the Enclave, everyone. Defense of our allies, for one."

"Who can we count on as allies?" a Pride member asked.

Owyn conceded, "There are few, I must admit, but we have two very important allies sitting in this very room."

Heads turned again to Lloyd and Amata, who looked at each other, then back to the rest of the assembled Brotherhood.

"Lloyd, Amata, no matter what we decide, I must assume that you yourselves intend to fight the Enclave. Am I correct?" Lyons awaited their reply.

Casting another look to Amata, who gave a small, yet determined, nod, Lloyd looked across the room to the Elder. "We will. They made this fight personal for us in more ways than one."

"I'm not certain that sending these two to fight the Enclave is the best idea," Tristan spoke up. He looked at them. "They're young. They're obviously out for revenge. They'll get themselves killed, is what will happen."

"I disagree," Sarah suddenly spoke on their behalf. The two of them looked at the blonde woman. "I've seen them in action. If we train them, give them power armor and skills to boot, they'll be two deadly assets against the Enclave, with their own stake in this fight." After she finished speaking, she looked back at them. Lloyd nodded with appreciation of her words.

"There's more to them seeking vengeance, Paladin Tristan," Owyn told the man. His eyes settled on the two of them. "They know the key to making Project Purity work, something the Enclave doesn't know how. We cannot underestimate the usefulness of that fact."

"Actually," Lloyd said, somewhat regrettably, "there's a good chance the Enclave knows the secret already. They had a traitor in Dr. Li's team. That's how they knew when to strike at us."

"No," Madison said, standing up. Everyone looked to her as she explained, "Anna Holt, the woman who worked for them, never heard of what was required for the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place and get the purifier going. James only spoke of it to me, and to you."

Lloyd straightened a bit. "Then there's still a chance we can find it before they do."

"What is the final piece, exactly?" a scribe asked.

Rothchild held up his hand to stop Lloyd, or anyone, from speaking. "I think, that given the recent events that have befallen us, it would be best for the secret to stay with Dr. Li and the Wandering Pair. We can trust them. Dr. Li will stay here in the Citadel lab while they will be trained to both fight the Enclave alongside our soldiers and find what must be found."

"I can train them," one of the paladins, a man named Gunny, spoke up. "Personally, I don't like it, offering the knowledge behind wearing power armor to people who just walk in off the street."

"This is an extremely special case, Paladin Gunny," Owyn told him. "We are to offer as much aid as possible to them. This includes allowing them to trade with you, Quartermaster Durga," he looked at a woman at the table.

The woman sneered a little. "Fine," she said, though it was clear she wasn't a fan of the idea.

"I can oversee their training," Sarah suggested. "We need to get them as fit for the field as they can be and as soon as possible."

"I shall allow this," Owyn told his daughter. He turned to a paladin named Vargas, Sarah's second-in-command. "Paladin Vargas, I want you to oversee the actions of the Pride while Sarah assists Gunny in training the Wandering Pair." Vargas nodded, and then Owyn addressed Tristan. "Paladin Tristan, you are to oversee the planning of offensive action against the Enclave. Work closely with Operations Officer Edwards and scout reports to gain an accurate idea of how we can strike them where it most hurts. I expect a report on my desk soon."

Rothchild waited for his friend to stop speaking before he spoke to the three other scribes at the table. "Scribe Peabody, I want you to immediately begin researching and developing weapons that equal or exceed those of the Enclave's. Scribe Bowditch, begin forging armor for our two newest allies. Scribe Jameson, after this meeting is complete, establish a record of its proceedings and work closely with the others to formulate a strategy against the Enclave using any information we can gleam from the archives." All three scribes nodded in understanding of the orders they had received.

"Are there any more issues to address?" Owyn asked them.

Paladin Vargas spoke up. "Couldn't we use Liberty Prime to get through that force field?" Lloyd and Amata looked at the man, both unsure of what he meant.

Rothchild shook his head. "At the moment, no. We cannot yet fully power him. We will continue to research it and with the help of Dr. Li and her team, I believe we may make some strides in that area. But until then, the issue is as it stands: Liberty Prime will simply not yet function."

There was a woman in this room, who, up until now, hadn't spoken. She was of African descent, with closely-cut black hair with streaks of grey. She wore power armor, like other members of the Brotherhood. She was older than most in the room, yet younger than Rothchild or Elder Lyons, with visible lines of age upon her face. Her poise rivaled that of Elder Lyons' and when she spoke, it was clear that she was perhaps just as intelligent and wise. "Elder Lyons. I seek to aid the Wandering Pair in both their training and their mission."

"Star Paladin Cross," Owyn said her name for the benefit of the two of them. "You are my personal bodyguard and advisor. So kindly advise me on why you wish to do so, my friend."

Star Paladin Cross, a woman of a rank the two of them had not heard of, stood and spoke to the Wandering Pair. "Lloyd Freeman, I knew your father. Many years ago, I helped escort him across the wastes to Vault 101, with you in his arms, at the time but an infant."

Lloyd sat up a bit. "You... knew me as a baby?"

"Indeed I did. Your father was a truly great man, Lloyd. Few people in this room ever met him, but those who did know that it is an honest shame that he is no longer with us."

Rothchild spoke up to agree with Cross. "Yes... I haven't had a chance to give my own condolences to you, Mr. Freeman. The world lost one of its last visionaries when it lost your father."

"Thank you..." Lloyd replied to the both of them. "I... We, rather, would be honored to have your help, Star Paladin Cross."

She gave a slight bow. "The honor is mine, son of James."

"Cross is of one of the highest in our ranks," Owyn explained. "She is given leave to pursue her own objectives, for I have much faith in her abilities and judgment. I give you my blessing, Star Paladin, and I give my blessing to you as well, Wandering Pair. I hope to see you in the coming days for there is still much to be done."

Rothchild looked to Owyn with a questioning glare, who replied by nodded once. Rothchild addressed the group, "Meeting adjourned. Steel be with you all."

People around the room began to excuse themselves. Cross, Sarah and Gunny approached the Wandering Pair. Gunny intentionally spoke first. "Alright. If you two are going to learn how to use power armor, among other things, I expect to see you outside in the courtyard at six-hundred hours. Do you understand?" They both nodded. "Good. Get some sleep. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, judging by the look of you."

Gunny left them. Lloyd looked to Cross. "I remember... once, a while ago, when I first learned I wasn't born in the vault. The man who told me that he said my father had a Brotherhood friend who accompanied him."

"That was I," Cross confirmed.

"Amazing," Lloyd said, shaking his head a bit. "All of this... everything, truly, seems like it was destined to happen, in a weird way."

"Your father returned to Project Purity, and now you are to finish his work. 'Thus the sins of our fathers fall to their children.' I have little doubt that you shall honor his legacy, Lloyd."

"Thank you... I appreciate that," he told her.

Sarah spoke up. "Well, I suppose we'll be seeing the two of you in the morning for training, then."

Amata turned to the woman. "Thank you for defending us and our choice," she said to the woman.

"Don't mention it," Sarah said with a smile. "Besides, I knew for a fact that you two had a real knack for getting into big trouble and surviving."

"That's one way of putting it," Lloyd admitted.

Sarah's smile widened. "You two should go to your room. After tomorrow's training session, I'm betting Rothchild will want to talk to you about finding that missing piece of the puzzle."

They both agreed and the four of them parted, with the Wandering Pair and their faithful hound going to the room that had been assigned to them. Before doing so, however, they decided to pay a visit to Charon in the hospital. The ghoul was unconscious, and being tended to by a Mister Gutsy robot that served as the Citadel's resident doctor.

Something about the machine struck Lloyd as being odd, so he commanded the robot to run a self-diagnostic. It discovered an error within its system that could prove potentially dangerous during operations. Getting permission from Elder Lyons, Lloyd repaired the machine to reroute its more delicate commands through a different pathway, effectively bringing the robot up to complete safety when it came to operating on a patient.

With that done, they left some well-wishing words with the ghoul before departing for their room. "I hope Charon gets better very soon," Lloyd said to Amata as they walked down the grey halls of the Citadel's B-Ring.

"Me too. But I wonder how Harkness and Lucy are doing?" she pondered aloud.

Lloyd hadn't thought much of them since their arrival to the Citadel. "I'm not certain. But I hope they are just as alright as we are."

* * *

Lucy sat in a corner of Pinkerton's lab as the doctor did something to Harkness' face behind a closed surgery curtain. She couldn't quite see what was going on, but the android had assured her that he would be fine.

'Android...' she reminded herself of the truth behind Harkness' identity. To her, more than any mutant or monster in the wastes, this revelation that Harkness was an artificial life form was nothing short of the most remarkable discovery she had ever made. It was strange to think about; the very nature of his being made her question many things, about herself and about the world at large and the very nature of the human condition. She was still reeling from her earlier conversations with him, going them over and over in her mind, thinking long and hard about his arguments.

He was, in some aspects, terrifying. Something so complex designed by human hands almost felt like it simply shouldn't and couldn't exist. And yet, he did. She had seen him fight, displaying more strength and speed than any human she knew of. She had spoken to him, listened to him, and knew he was intelligent, though now she knew it was because he had the equivalent of a super-computer compacted into his brain, constantly analyzing and computing things she couldn't even begin to understand.

And... she knew that he had emotions, emotions just as powerful, if not more so, than her own or any true human's. She looked over at the hanging sheet that barred her eyes from the android and the work being done on him and tried to sympathize with Harkness. She knew she could only see his problems from the perspective of a human, but she had begun to see why someone would want to be human, even if they weren't made to be. Everything he had told her in their earlier conversation made sense in a way. If he believed he was human, if he thought and had emotions like a human... then what didn't make him human, aside from his synthetic body?

'I think... therefore I am.'

Lucy sat in silence, pulling her knees close to her chest as she contemplated the discussion she had shared with Christopher earlier. 'Can I love him now?' she thought. 'He feels real... his lips feel real... and after the surgery, it's not like he'll _look_ like a robot or anything. If you look at it from the perspective of him just being a man, he's strong, handsome, smart and capable of protecting me, willing to do so, even.' She chuckled to herself. 'The resume for a boyfriend checks out, alright. But what does he think when it comes to the long-term? I've never really thought about it, but... but I think I do want kids someday. Maybe I'll die before that happens, but if I don't... what then?'

She heard a noise coming from behind the curtains that sounded like a cutting tool, like a saw, being used. She didn't want to imagine what it was for.

'Maybe he doesn't even age... and if I stick with him, I'll get older, while he stays the same... But it's not like there's a better match for him, right? Far as I know, there aren't any female androids running around. But that's the thing... people seek romance for all kinds of reasons. Psychological, physical, emotional reasons. I can't begin to imagine how he "processes" those kinds of feelings. I can't think that he is driven by a sexual drive, so that's not it. He was content to live alone until he met me, so it can't be psychological attachment or emotional desperation.'

An idea came to her then, one that she entertained. 'Maybe he's like me... simply attracted to the other, but not entirely sure why. Because I am still attracted to him... but seriously now, Lucy, how would it work? He's an android, a machine. You're human. But... he's humanlike, so that counts for something... Hell, more than something, a whole lot of things. Why should the fact that he's an android get in the way of his humanity or justifying falling in love with him? I couldn't fall in love with a machine, but I could fall for a man. I liked him before I knew the truth... and I still do.' She clenched her fist slightly as she looked back to the curtain. 'Harkness isn't a machine. He isn't a robot. He might not be human in body, but he is human in soul. Maybe it's crazy, maybe it's stupid and it won't work out... but I'm not going to look back and think about what might have been.'

She sat, waiting for the surgery to finish, so she could tell him her decision.

* * *

Sheriff Lucas Simms looked out over the Capital Wasteland from the sniper's perch at the front of the city. His keen ears picked up the sound of yet another vehicle flying through the night sky, undetectable save for one short second when the moonlight reflected off of its grey hull as it turned, far away. His eyes narrowed.

'Another one,' he thought. He didn't know who was flying those planes, but he didn't like it. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in this land, and that deeply troubled him. Change wasn't an unwelcome thing, but only when change came in the open, with wide arms. This was something else. It was something darker, more sinister and looming on the horizon. Hiding itself.

He felt like dark eyes were upon him and his town. Looking back at Megaton, that pathetic, meager excuse for a civilization that so many called home, he knew that he, and a choice few others among the population, was its only protection. 'Megaton might not be pretty, it might not be clean or the best place to live in, but it's home. And now... I can't help but think something bad is going to happen.'

Inside the home of the Wandering Pair, given to them by Lucas himself, the eight-year-old Bryan Wilks slept soundly, without too many cares in the world. Moira was closing up her shop. Billy was escorting Maggie home for the night, and Gobtholemew and Lucile themselves were starting to close their new tavern for the evening. Countless other residents of the community were heading in for the night and Megaton was slowly falling silent and still.

Lucas had found that lately, he was unable to sleep. He would try drinking a little whiskey tonight to help drown out the insomnia that had been plaguing him. Whatever was coming, he wasn't going to face it tired and weary.

And he knew something was coming.

* * *

"Colonel." President John Henry Eden's voice reached Autumn's ears. The man straightened, and turned in his chair to the wall screen that displayed the president's face. Eden spoke again, "I am not pleased with this failure, Colonel."

"It is but a setback—" Autumn began, but Eden interrupted him.

"Setbacks upon setbacks, Colonel. Project Purity was within your grasp, and you let it slip away."

"The man killed himself!" Autumn slammed his hand down upon the metal desk. "How was I to see that coming, exactly? The man destroyed the project and flooded it with radiation and nearly killed me for Christsake."

"Excuses, Colonel. You should be glad to be alive."

Autumn sat back a bit, his eyes nearly twitching. He steadied his shaking hand. "I'm aware, Mr. President, but you must understand that I am just as upset about this ordeal as you."

"The Freeman child and his allies escaped. The entirety of the Project Purity still living escaped. We do not know where they are now, but you can rest assured that they will not remain quiet. They will attempt to take Project Purity back, Colonel."

"They can't," Autumn said. "They are nobody, President Eden. Two wayward children with some friends and nothing more. There is no possible threat that they can pose to us, now that the containment field is up around the memorial. The perimeter is fully manned and turrets are already online. Proximity scouts will know of any possible threat well in advance."

"Keep in mind what arrogance earned you, Colonel," Eden reminded him.

"They may have escaped, so we will hunt them down. But they are not a priority, Mr. President."

"Incorrect as usual, Colonel. Sometimes I wonder why I still have you in a position of power anymore, as the level of competence you have displayed thus far in this campaign has achieved only minimal results for the Enclave despite our patience and planning."

Autumn's hands tightened into fists, yet he retained his composure. "Very well then, Mr. President. Enlighten me as to how I am incorrect in my assessment of the children."

"Do you recall what I told you during your tracking of Dr. Freeman? I told you that the last thing we needed was a martyr to inspire them or a hero to lead them. Now, it turns out we have both. Dr. Freeman made a noble and valiant sacrifice and his son has undoubtedly sworn revenge. Do you recall what you said to me when I told you that this is exactly what we did not need to happen? 'He won't, Mr. President.' You have failed to give me legitimate results in something so simple, Autumn. I tire of these failures."

Autumn was very nearly losing his composure as sweat ran down his forehead. "Mr. President, I..."

"You have your new orders, Colonel. Your regular vaccine dosage will be coming shortly. Remember to take it at the proper intervals, or you will die from your exposure. That would inconvenience me, Colonel. But not by much. Try to remember that."

The President's face vanished from the screen, which went dark upon deactivation. Autumn slammed another fist down upon the table. 'Damn you, Eden,' he thought. 'Forcing me to take this cure constantly as a leash to ensure my loyalty. It would be so easy to just...' He let his thoughts die out. He looked to his right, to see an image of Lloyd Freeman and Amata Almodovar on one of the screens. He took out his pistol and shot the screen, destroying it as a short fountain of sparks emerged from the hole in the glass. The gun in his hand shook from his nearly uncontrollable muscle spasms. "Damn you..." he said in a low, low growl.

* * *

Atop Tenpenny Tower, on its outer, highest balcony, a man in a white suit leaned over the railing, gripping it tighter and tighter as the mercenary behind him droned on.

"We haven't seen them for at least two days now, sir. They've completely dropped off the radar, far as we can tell."

Burke stopped leaning and turned to the man. Speaking low and with overt hostility, he ordered, "Tell that coward Jabsco that he is to double his efforts in searching the wastes. If not, I'll be paying the scarred fool a personal visit in his personal fortress. Am I clear?"

The man nodded, but stayed behind. "Sir... if I may... perhaps you should forget about them? We are wasting all this time and manpower, it just seems better suited that we—"

Burke had almost resumed leaning and looking out over the wastes when the man had elected to continue speaking. The intimidating man whipped around and grabbed the merc by the neck, twisting him around so that he was pushing half of the man off of the railing. It was a very long fall to the bottom of Tenpenny Tower from its highest balcony.

"Listen to me, you pathetic, insolent worm," Burke hissed through gnashed teeth as the man struggled against his grip, his eyes wide with panic. "You do not give the orders. You are not paid to think, you are paid to do as I say. If I want your opinion, I would ask, but I assure you, the thoughts of one as loathsome, unintelligent and despicable as a lowly merc as yourself are highly irrelevant to my interests. You are going to do as I say and give Jabsco the command, or else I will kill you without so much as a second thought. Are we clear?"

He loosened his grip on the man's throat ever-so-slightly, so the merc could choke out, "Yes! Yes, sir! Just please, let me, arg! Go!"

Burke released the man, who fell forward, onto his knees, gasping and soothing his neck.

"Get out of my sight," Burke spat. The man scrambled up to his feet and stumbled towards the doors, entering the penthouse level of Tenpenny Tower and shutting them behind him. Burke turned back to the wastes, picking up a glass of scotch that was on the railing, downing its remaining contents in one gulp.

He threw the glass as far and as hard as he could out in the direction of the wastes, his anger aimed at nobody in particular, save for the Wandering Pair. "It is an insult of the highest caliber," he muttered to himself. "They task me, they task me, for the insubordination, the insolence, the contemptuousness, the affront to my name… I've not forgotten you and if I must hunt you across the wastes of this Earth, I shall."

The man carried nothing but scorn for his enemies, and he was growing increasingly agitated at their continued state of living. To Burke, they represented a failure that he could not ignore, an itch he could not scratch, no matter how hard he tried. He was not a man who left jobs undone or even half-finished; no stones under his power would remain unturned. He had built himself up from nothing and would never stop hunting his prey. It simply was inconceivable to him to stop.

"Your day will come," he silently promised.

* * *

A small, cold, unlit cell made out of metal, barely large enough to hold a person. It was more like a metal coffin with a single window of thick glass. It opened frontways, with the "lid" of the coffin splitting in two and folding along its sides. Hundreds of these were put into rows of twenty and stacked on top of each other on both sides of the room, with walkways along each row and a central path in between the two large stacks. Every single resident of Vault 101, the ones that weren't killed when the Enclave stormed into the vault and took capture of it, were now inside of these pods. They had ventilation and were cool, but you could not open them from within until they opened them for you.

Butch DeLoria tried his best to make himself comfortable. Every single day when they let the prisoners out for food and bathroom breaks, they put them in a new containment cell. Robots organized them and always had guns trained on them, prepared to shoot and kill anyone who stepped out of line. There were no lights in the cells, so even though you could look across the room at the cell opposite yours, you wouldn't be able to see inside, as each pod fell within the shadows of the row above. Each pod had a different designation, a number painted on its outside.

Butch crossed his arms and crammed himself into a corner of the pod, trying to sleep. But he couldn't, not with all that had happened to him and the others in the past few days. He was there, in the reaches of Vault 101, next to the door when they opened it. Outside, those soldiers with the guns opened fire on Butch, killing him. Or so he thought.

He should have been dead. He felt the bullets tear through parts of him, yet he awoke alive and well in a place he did not know, strapped to an operating table. Some doctors with strange facemasks and bodysuits were experimenting on him, cutting him open and pumping him with various drugs. He saw things, hallucinations, before slipping into unconsciousness. When he awoke next, he was in one of the cells, among the others of Vault 101. He learned from them everything: the details of the attack, the rules these mysterious soldiers wanted them to follow and how nobody really knew where they were or why.

All of the residents of Vault 101 were frightened, and so was Butch. It infuriated him, making him feel helpless, like a bug trapped in a matchbox. But more than anything else, he wanted to know how he had survived the attack, and on this day, he got his answer.

His pod suddenly opened and it lurched forward with great speed by about a foot to push him out. Two soldiers approached him and hauled him up to his feet. "The hell's going on?" he asked, but got no response. No other pods were opening. "Hey... hey! I didn't do anything! Let me go, you fucks!" Butch struggled against them, but their power armor-enhanced strength was simply unconquerable. He was certain that all of Vault 101 was looking at him as he was dragged off to an uncertain fate, most likely death. Nobody had ever been escorted out by themselves.

Once out of the holding area, they made him walk on his own feet. Prodding him with their guns, he followed a path they indicated. Down dark, metal corridors, up flights of stairs, through doors, it was all too confusing for him to follow; he felt as though he were in a haze. He merely kept going in the directions they told him to go in.

Soon, they reached a large set of metal doors, larger and cleaner than any other he had seen. Butch looked back to them as they had stopped. "Well?" he asked. No response was given.

The doors suddenly began to slowly open with a great mechanical sound and light poured forth from the room. "Enter," one of the soldiers commanded.

Butch warily walked through the doors, squinting at the light. They began to shut behind him, and when he motioned to leave, the two soldiers stopped him by aiming their guns. He stood still until the doors sealed shut.

"Please come in and sit, Mr. DeLoria," a pleasant voice came to his ears from seemingly all directions. "I'd like to talk to you."

Butch walked forward a bit and discovered that the great light came from a large television screen that, currently, displayed a bright white color. There was a chair, a rather comfortable-looking one, Butch had to admit. He sat down in it.

The screen's bright white state faded then, revealing a man sitting behind a wooden desk. He had a sort of regality about him, a formal poise that seemed educated and well-mannered. His hair was grey and slightly balding on top, with no facial hair on his face. Though he was old, the man looked to be in good shape. He wore a black suit with a red tie, and his arms were situated on the desk before him, his fingers intertwined. Various papers lied on the desk, and behind him was a great flag: red, white and blue.

"Good evening, Mr. DeLoria," he spoke in his distinctive voice. "I'm certain you have many questions."

Butch's brow lowered. "Yeah... you could say that," he replied, suspicious of this man on the screen. "Who are you supposed to be, exactly?"

"Indeed, introductions are in order. I am John Henry Eden, President of the United States of America. I am the head of the Enclave, the remnants of the true pre-war United States ruling body. It is the Enclave that holds you and your vault's population now in captivity."

Butch's eyes narrowed. "You... stormed into our vault. Killed people. Goddamn near killed me, thank you very much."

"And do you think that your living is perhaps the result of luck, Mr. DeLoria?"

"The hell's that supposed to mean?"

Eden smiled. "Mr. DeLoria, I don't think you realize what you have. Perhaps your time in the vault has proven little opportunity for you to discover it: a very unique gift, one that saved your life. One that only you seem to possess."

"And that is?"

"You can heal, Mr. DeLoria. You can heal from incredible wounds and a great many other things as well. When we discovered you alive, we took you here for examination. We expected you to die, but you did not. After running a series of experiments, we determined the exact scope of your extraordinary gift and after a quite hefty amount of consideration, I am prepared to make you an offer."

"Hold up," Butch said, putting up his hand. "How the hell can I heal? And furthermore, why the hell did you break into our vault and start shooting people? And where are we now, anyways?"

"All in due time, Mr. DeLoria. Every single question will be answered, but first, I'd like to give you an offer."

Butch sat agitated, but listened to the President.

"Mr. DeLoria, your gift makes you very special, and very unique. The potential you possess, the power you can come to wield, makes you valuable beyond initial comprehension. I believe that, if we can put the nasty business of Vault 101 behind us, we can work out a deal for the betterment of your entire vault's population and in doing so, ensure better treatment for your people, including your mother Ellen. Assuming you comply, of course."

Butch had seen the suffering of the people of the vault at the hands of these "Enclave" soldiers. Though he was never too much of a compassionate individual, he cared for the people and didn't want them to suffer. Mention of his mother, in particular, had stung him. He had only seen her once since his reintroduction to the rest of the prisoners.

"I'm still listening," he said.

Eden smiled. "Good. Butch, my boy, may I call you Butch?" The teen nodded. "Good. Butch, our studies, while I'm certain you didn't enjoy them very well, revealed much about you. Needless to say, the results were extremely interesting. I'm willing to apologize for the treatment you have endured at our hands and I'm also willing to make amends. We need not brutalize your people, nor you, Butch. All it would take is for you to accept an invitation."

Butch's brow raised. "What kind of... invitation?"

"A job offer, my boy. Something suitable to your skills, skills which you don't yet have. However, with training, you have a chance to become one of the greatest soldiers and warriors the Enclave has ever seen. Your unique gift will allow you to exceed in areas normal humans simply cannot. You can become so much more than you are, with our help."

Butch was quiet, thinking on the man's words. "And... if I accept... you'll treat everyone from Vault 101 better?"

"Indeed, Mr. DeLoria. You see, there is much more going on in the wider world than you know. I will explain all of it to you, personally, should you accept, and you will have a chance to change the face of this world forever. The Enclave plan to reclaim the surface world and bring about a new age, and you would help us sculpt it. Imagine it, Butch. Your name chanted throughout history as a savior, a liberator, a hero and example for all future generations. You will have proven the usefulness of the common man, and will have a chance to free the people of your vault from the servitude they would face otherwise."

Butch's eyes widened a little as Eden heaped the impressive words upon him. He spoke of strong, powerful things in his future, things that Butch could only begin to guess at. He had never thought about such power fantasies on the level Eden did, but a part of him immediately liked the way it sounded and wanted him to learn more.

"What do you say, Butch? You have my word as President of these United States that I will honor my agreement with you."

For a moment, Butch was once more silent as a million thoughts flew through his brain. When he had reached his conclusion, he looked up into John Henry Eden's eyes.

"Tell me what you need me to do."

Eden smiled.


	20. Brothers in Arms and Armor

Two Brotherhood knights atop the Citadel's walls were on patrol, walking and talking to each other. The men, rather unentertained at the low activity of hostiles around the headquarters of the eastern Brotherhood of Steel, were joking about various things when one of them brought up one of the Citadel's newest guests.

"Can you believe there's a ghoul in the Citadel?" he said dismissively.

The other shook his head as he held his laser rifle up. "We're really slipping, alright."

The first make a 'tsk' noise and said, "I can't believe they'd just let that thing in here, all because it's a friend of those two on the radio."

"Pssh. Two kids, civie scientists, a ghoul and a dog. Can you believe they get let in and right off the bat they're getting top-notch training from Sentinel-fucking-Lyons and Star Paladin Cross? I've been here for years and I've never had my boot licked like them."

Both of them heard a distinct throat clearing. They turned to see Sarah Lyons standing there, with her helmet under her arm. Immediately, they fell in line and saluted, stumbling ever so slightly.

"Back to duty, and no more talking," she ordered them. They hastily nodded and resumed walking, though this time in separate directions. Sarah smiled in spite of herself. Sometimes, soldiers needed to be reminded of whom to respect around here.

She looked down to the courtyard, where various initiates trained in all manner of exercises. She descended a nearby staircase and emerged from the Citadel's interior, stepping once more back into the light of early morning. She knew that Lloyd and Amata would be out soon.

As if on cue, the two of them emerged from another set of doors, wearing recon armor, which was standard issue to scouts and initiates. It was a lightweight bodyglove with metal plates protecting some key areas. It was designed to be light, fast and flexible, but most importantly, it was designed to link the wearer to their model T-45d power armor once they earned the right to wear it. Sarah knew that the suits must have been provided by Knight Captain Durga, the quartermaster, who probably didn't enjoy handing them over, being the way she was.

Gunny and Cross emerged behind them, and the paladin instructed them to stop once they reached a certain point. Gunny moved to stand in front of them, Sarah and Cross taking up positions alongside him. "Where's your mutt?" Gunny asked.

"We left him with Charon," Amata replied. Gunny didn't seem to understand.

"The ghoul," Lloyd deadpanned.

Gunny nodded his understanding, cleared his throat and spoke to them. "Alright, listen up, because I'll only say it once," he began. Both of them stood tall and straight and looked at him. "If we're headed for war, we'll need soldiers. Not kids with guns, but soldiers. You're going to be trained, hard, every day until we deem you fit for fieldwork and worthy of power armor. We're going to start every day with exercises; running, jumping, push-ups and more. Weapons training will come next. As a Brotherhood soldier, you will need to learn to use every weapon possible whilst out in the field. If your weapon jams or you run out of ammo and you don't have a spare, you'll learn the value of being able to pick up a weapon from a dead ally or enemy and knowing how to use it right away.

"Then, combat training. Melee weapons, unarmed attacks, the works. You need to know every possible way to take an opponent down. My initiates sweat blood, and I expect the same out of you two. I've plenty of other spineless men and women to turn into full-blooded soldiers, so I'll only be covering your physical training. Weapons and combat, that'll be handled by Sentinel Lyons and Star Paladin Cross. You'll be given regular intervals for food in the mess and bathroom breaks. Once training is over, it is your choice to decide what to do from there. You can keep going, or head in for then night. Do you understand what I have told you?"

Lloyd and Amata nodded.

"Good. Then twenty laps around the courtyard. Move!"

Immediately, they set off in a jog. Gunny kept pace with them even his power armor, urging them to go faster, shouting whenever they slowed.

Sarah and Cross watched them go. The sentinel turned to the star paladin and said, "It'll be interesting to see how they learn what we'll teach them, since they'll be training together and fighting alongside each other in the field."

Cross nodded. "I have no doubt that they will become great soldiers for the Brotherhood. Perhaps even candidates for the Lyons' Pride?"

Sarah smirked. "Hey, let's not shoot for the impossible, now."

* * *

Throughout the great complex of Raven Rock, the forces of the Enclave were preparing. Soldiers marched into vertibirds alongside officers, field supplies in crates were being loaded onto the vehicles and high-ranking commanders detailed their plans for the occupation of the Capital Wasteland. Potential threats from the people were detailed, orders were given, and excitement swept through their ranks, for the many soldiers of the Enclave were eager to begin the operation that would finally reveal their presence to the wasteland, but mostly they were itching to shoot at something living opposed to target ranges.

Their weapons charged, their vehicles refueled and their determination zealous and uncompromising, they began their campaign to take control of the United States of America's former national capital. From the mountains in the northwest corner of the wastes, vertibirds emerged over the horizon, splitting off into many groups, carrying their soldiers and supplies to designated landing zones.

From the hanger, Colonel Autumn watched them go, a confident smile on his face.

All setbacks aside, the plan had officially begun.

* * *

Lloyd and Amata spent the day training. True to Gunny's regiment, they exercised in a variety of ways before beginning weapons training. Lloyd was fairly experienced with rifles, but still had room to improve. Amata had grown quite comfortable with her SMG, but needed to learn more about the handling of other types of weapons. Lloyd displayed an aptitude for laser rifle combat, as well as sniper and hunting rifles. He spent the majority of that first day learning more about shotguns and assault rifles, weapons he had some experience with already but could learn much more about.

Amata focused more on single-handed weapons, such as the magnum or laser pistol. When she was approved by her superior officer, she was handed a plasma pistol to try out. She had seen plasma weaponry before, with Harkness' rifle and the Enclave, but did not know that it could take the form of a pistol. She and Lloyd both practiced with it, blasting a target made to resemble a super mutant with bright green bolts of plasma, before returning it to the quartermaster's hands.

When it came time for combat training, Sarah and Cross decided to start them with unarmed combat first. Using each other as guinea pigs, they displayed to Lloyd and Amata various throws, locks, takedowns and other attacks, giving them a general idea as well as a little history and background to the variety of moves they would eventually cover. Once done, they invited the Wandering Pair to try it on each other. Though they were a little uncomfortable at first, each wary of harming the other, they soon loosened up and tried fighting each other a little more seriously. While they did, Sarah went and changed into her own recon armor.

When she came back, she told them to stop. "Alright," she said, tightening her left gauntlet, "not bad. But try to take me down, now."

Lloyd decided to try first. He charged at her, trying to go low for her legs. He didn't quite realize what had happened until he was lying flat on the ground and Amata was somewhere nearby, laughing. Sarah had, quite literally, rolled over atop him and sent him flying to the earth below. "Nice try," she said, dusting off her hands. "Now you, Amata."

The girl's smile faded. "Oh... um, alright." She approached Sarah, not quite sure how to proceed. She tried putting her hand on the older woman's shoulder, the start of a maneuver she had seen demonstrated earlier, but Sarah reacted quickly by grabbing Amata's arm, sweeping her feet out from under her and putting her to the ground.

"Again, nice try. Both of you try again," she told them once they were both standing once more.

Lloyd and Amata looked at each other. They knew that it was going to be a long day rest of the day.

* * *

Lloyd sat, drinking some purified water that they had picked up during their travels. Purified water, bottled, was still difficult to come by but they had larger stores of it in the Citadel. He was in one of the lower rooms of the Citadel, having arranged a meeting with Head Scribe Rothchild. The man entered the room then, taking a seat across from Lloyd.

"Lloyd," the old head scribe greeted. "How was training?"

"Manageable," he replied, setting down the water on the table before him. "Tough, but manageable."

"Very good. Now, I assume this is about what you need to find for Project Purity, yes?" Lloyd nodded in response. "Tell me what you need, then."

"It's a piece of vault technology, issued to some, but not all, vaults," Lloyd explained. "It's called a G.E.C.K., a Garden of Eden Creation Kit."

Rothchild repeated the words silently. "Interesting," he said. "We may have a way to find it out, but it will be difficult."

"Difficult how?" Lloyd asked.

"We have a computer with lots of Vault-Tec information on it, but it's badly damaged. It may hold the information you seek, but in all likelihood, not. Much of its data is corrupted, I'm afraid. We haven't spent much time attempting to repair it as well, as it wasn't deemed a high priority."

"I understand that," Lloyd said. "I'd like to look at the computer, if you don't mind."

"Certainly. Scribe Jameson in the archives will direct you to it," Rothchild told him. "If you need any more help, come find me."

Lloyd thanked the man and headed upstairs. Once in the archives, he found the computer after Jameson pointed it out to him. As he browsed its files, he grew frustrated. Much of the data was deleted, useless or corrupt, and he couldn't find any mention of a G.E.C.K. in any of the vault profiles. Though he had a list of vaults in the Capital Wasteland area, he didn't have any knowledge of their location. He sought out Rothchild once more, finding him in the laboratory level of the Citadel's underworks, working on a computer terminal located next to a gigantic robot.

Lloyd stopped in awe when he saw the mechanical wonder. It was at least forty feet tall, humanoid in shape and forged from solid metal, with large plates of it on its torso, forearms and lower legs. A large framework of steel support beams surrounded it, keeping it in place. Scribes moved about it, working in open hatches and fiddling with its inner wiring. He approached Rothchild to speak to him, unable to tear his eyes away from the massive robot.

"What... is that?" he asked, slightly dumfounded.

"Liberty Prime," Rothchild replied. He put his hands on his hips and looked up at the massive metal man, seemingly proud of it. "A real wonder, isn't it? We found it here many years ago when we first took the Citadel for our own."

"What can it do?" Lloyd asked, almost imagining it flying around, blasting lasers and picking up super mutant behemoths by the neck in one hand.

Rothchild chuckled. "Right now? Nothing. It's a shame, but we can't get the damn thing to work. As for what it could do, well, quite a bit. It was designed to assist in the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska from the Chinese before the Great War. It was never completed on time, however."

"Do you think you could get it to work?"

"Well, we've been trying for a very long time, and we'll keep trying. But tell me, why are you here now? Do you need assistance in something?"

Lloyd snapped back to why he was here. "The computer's mostly fried," he told Rothchild. "I couldn't get anything out of it."

"A shame," Rothchild admitted. "I'll tell you what, Lloyd. We can't have you focusing your time and efforts on the computer, we need you to continue to train. I'll assign a scribe to work full-time on the files, trying to uncover anything of use. If he finds anything, I'll let you know. Alright?"

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Alright. I suppose it's for the best." He looked up at Liberty Prime one last time before heading upstairs. 'Hell of a lotta interesting stuff around here, I must admit,' he thought to himself.

* * *

Amata brushed the hair out of her eyes and behind her ears. She often wore it tied back, but she had just removed the binding that usually held it and now it hung loose and free. She laughed a little bit as she realized just how long it was starting to get. When it hung loose, it almost reached the middle of her back. She was about to redo the binding when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in," she called, sitting back to see who it was.

To her surprise, Sarah walked in. "Hello, Amata," the sentinel greeted.

Amata smiled, replying, "What's up?"

"Just checking to see if I left any permanent bruises or injuries," the older woman replied. Amata laughed a little.

"No, not on me. Lloyd, though, he bruises like a banana." She smiled inwardly, knowing how untrue that was.

Sarah cocked a brow upwards. "A what?"

Amata shook her head, her dark hair shaking a little from the motion. "Nevermind. Did you need to talk to me or Lloyd about something?" she asked.

"No, not really," Sarah said, leaning against the doorway. She was still wearing only her recon armor. "Though I guess I did want to talk to you about something."

"Just me?" she inquired with a curious tone.

"Just you, yeah. I was wondering how you were doing, since... you know, the attack."

Amata averted her eyes. "I'm doing alright... all things considered. I had already given up hope of seeing my family or friends again, but knowing that they're held against their will, all because of me..."

"But it wasn't just you," Sarah tried to soothe. "A lot of different things went into this. The Enclave were here long before you and Lloyd left the vault, right? A case of bad timing, more like."

"Maybe. But still, the Enclave exploited the fact that my father loves me to get into Vault 101. I don't want to think about how many people died on my behalf. Like my father..." She turned back to the desk she was sitting at, putting her elbows on it and cupping her face with her hands. "I try not to think about it, anyway. I'm trying to remain focused on what we're doing." Pausing ever so briefly, she asked, "Why do you ask, Sarah?"

Sarah's eyes flashed with sympathy. "I guess… a while ago, when I went through something very rough, I wished I had someone to talk to about it. I wanted you to know that I'd be willing to listen to anything you have to say."

Amata grew still and she said, barely above a whisper, "I'm afraid of losing more."

"Listen, Amata... we all lose people we don't want to lose. It's a part of war, and that won't change... because war never changes, you know? Here we are, two-hundred years after blasting the earth to rubble and ruin, and we're still fighting, still losing people, still dealing with it."

The younger girl nodded. "Yeah, I know... but it's hard to just ignore that people lost their lives over something like this."

"Don't ignore it," Sarah said, moving and putting her hand on Amata's shoulder. The former vault dweller had taken off her recon armor, and so now only wore her grey undershirt and matching underwear, so she felt Sarah's fingers through the fabric of her shirt. "I've lost a lot of people over the years, Amata. Friends, civilians... And I can tell you that each death is just as hard to live with. But take strength in it, because you're alive today, and you have a chance to stop people from dying tomorrow. There's more to life than living and dying. It's about living well, and dying in honor, alongside allies, fighting to protect those can't protect themselves."

Amata wiped a single tear from her eye that had formed from thinking about her own father's death and Lloyd's as she listened very intently to Sarah's noble words. "You... you're a very good person, Sarah."

Sarah's smile was warm and friendly. "No better than you, Amata. I've heard of the things you and Lloyd have done. The two of you are a beam of light in a bleak and dreary land. Never forget that."

Amata put her hand on Sarah's, and nodded. "Thanks."

Lloyd, followed by Russ, entered the room then, seeing the heartwarming moment. "Ladies," he announced his presence. They both looked at him. "I interrupt something?" he asked, cocking a brow.

"Sarah came by just to say a few things," Amata explained, before she looked back to Sarah and said goodbye, with the sentinel doing the same. After she had left the room, Lloyd sat on the bed. Amata finished tying her hair back and sat next to him. "Learn anything new?" she asked.

As he slipped out of his recon armor, changing into his undershirt and boxers, he replied, "There's a giant robot in the basement of this place, but other than that, no, not really." Due to her questioning look, he then explained everything he knew about Liberty Prime.

"I'll have to look at that thing sometime," she said after hearing his description of it.

"Shame the damn thing can't even walk," Lloyd chuckled as he lied down on the bed. "It'd make a hell of a weapon against the Enclave, I'll tell you that for free."

She lied down alongside him and his arm slid around her shoulder. "A nice first day of training," she continued to make conversation. Russ jumped up onto the bed and curled up at their feet.

"Yeah... I wonder how many more we'll go through before we can wear power armor."

She smiled. "It's about the journey, Lloyd, not the destination."

"I know, I know," he said, rubbing her shoulder. "Still, it's not like I can't anticipate the destination, right?"

Amata decided to change the subject. "Sarah's a very nice woman," she said. "She gave me some encouraging words."

"Yeah? Care to share any of 'em?" he asked.

"How about this one? _War never changes._"

Lloyd smirked. "Encouraging, alright."

* * *

At Pinkerton's request, though he said it was passed on from Harkness, Lucy waited outside of the curtain that separated her sight from the operating table the android had been laying on for the past day. She had been patient up until now and was passing the time by pacing. Finally, the reclusive scientist pulled back the curtain and waved at her to come closer.

Harkness was lying on the table face up and with his torso's armor removed. She immediately looked to his face, discovering much to her delight that it had been fully restored, with no hint of scarring or damage. Even his eyes had somehow been replaced, and although she briefly wondered where Pinkerton got or kept the spare eyes, her elation at seeing Christopher's pure face again outweighed those thoughts. He sat up, leaning back on one arm as he blinked a few times before his sight settled on her, his new green eyes lighting up as their gazes met.

"Hey there," she meekly greeted.

He smiled. "Hey." He swung his legs off of the table and stood up, slowly, as if he were testing his ability to move properly. He smiled when he found no problems and said, "Fixed me up good as new, eh doc?"

Pinkerton crossed his arms and leaned back. "Yeah, and try not to mention that I agreed to do this for free, alright? It was a favor."

"That's two I owe you, then," Harkness replied.

The old man shook his head and gruffly replied, "Yeah, yeah. Now that you're fixed up, you two can leave." Pinkerton picked up some of his tools and headed up a nearby staircase, not really leaving any room for the two of them to respond.

"Always a pleasure, Horace," Harkness still insisted on calling out. The only reply he got was a loud, annoyed murmur that softly died down.

Lucy crossed her arms and looked back into the android's eyes. "You seem to be in good spirits," she commented. She stepped a bit closer, slowly holding out her hand to his face, stopping just a few inches away. "Can I...?" He nodded. Delicately, she pressed her fingers around the places she knew were damaged from their attack outside of Project Purity. "Does it hurt?" she asked.

He shook his head very slightly. "No. It doesn't."

Her hand brushed a few loose strands of his brown hair aside. "I... did a lot of thinking while you were under the knife," she began, but wasn't entirely sure where to go from there. "It might be... difficult, sometimes, but I'm willing to try... to make this work, you know?"

He seemed a little surprised, but pleasantly so. He reached up and took hold of her hand. "That's... very good to hear, Lucy. I'm… Well, I'm happy. But are you absolutely certain?"

"I don't think anything like it has ever happened, to be honest," she said. "It'd be strange, new territory, you know?" She chuckled a bit before adding, "I think I kind of like that idea."

He raised a brow. "You are a very intriguing young woman, Miss West."

"And you're an android. We all have our problems," she joked.

"Are you two done?" Pinkerton suddenly called down to them from a higher catwalk. "You're starting to make me a little nauseous."

They ignored him. Lucy mustered up her bravery and leant forward to kiss Harkness' synthetic lips. But although she knew they were synthetic, she couldn't tell the difference and couldn't care less.

* * *

"Get up, now."

Butch coughed as his arms struggled to lift himself up off of the cold, metal ground. As he stood, the soldier in the dark power armor punched him again. The power fist he wore, a pneumatic gauntlet with a piston which augmented the force of each punch, slammed into Butch's back, causing him to shout in pain as he fell to the ground once more, coughing up blood.

"Get up, now."

This was infuriating, degrading and extremely painful. Butch rolled a few feet away from the Enclave soldier, getting up to his feet. He held his arms up in a weak defensive posture, for he was very much injured and woozy, swaying from side to side.

The soldier advanced and swung at Butch, who ducked. He immediately dove at the man's midsection, trying to bring him down, but it was like tackling a statue. The soldier brought his elbow down on the youth's back, causing him to let go and fall once more with a cry.

"We're not going to stop until you can stop me, you pathetic pile of trash."

The man kicked Butch while he was down, causing the former vault rebel to curl up in pain. "God... Goddamnit..." he choked out. "You... you think this is fair... you son of a bitch? Big… Big man gotta… kick me… Chump…"

The soldier picked up Butch by his collar. "I don't have time for childish games. I was told you could heal from being torn apart by a minigun, so you'll be fine. Stop whining, brat." He turned and threw the vault dweller aside like a ragdoll. Butch hit the ground rolling, eventually coming to a stop.

He opened his watery eyes and saw, in the dim light of the room, the soldier approaching once more. He got up to his feet and readied another defense, but to no avail. Though he dodged two of the attacks, the soldier swung his foot around and tripped Butch, causing him to fall down and hit his head on the metal ground.

"Pathetic." The soldier picked Butch up once more. "I don't know what anybody sees in you, maggot. There's no fight in you. I've trained some runts in my day, but you're nothing but the lowest rat I've ever seen in my life."

Butch grabbed the wrist of the hand holding him and tried to pull it off, fruitlessly. The soldier dropped him. "Try again," he ordered. "And this time, if I'm not impressed, I'll shoot you. Not shoot you dead, but enough to make my point."

Butch, on his knees and bleeding from various wounds, one notably on his forehead, looked up at the soldier. He curled his fingers into fists and leapt up. Again and again he punched at the power helmet, as hard and as many times as he could. His fingers began to get cut from the edges of the helmet, but he didn't care. He ignored the burning, terrible pain as best he could as he fought for his life, convinced that it was the only thing he could do. His lungs felt like they were out of air and his arms felt as though they were about to fall off.

When he finally ran out of breath, he pushed against the man's chest as hard as he could, before sliding down to his feet. The soldier stepped back about a yard's distance from Butch and surveyed the self-sustained injuries on the youth's hands.

"Impressive tenacity when pushed to exceedingly stressful levels," he noted, his helmet recording his words for later use by the Enclave researchers assigned to Butch's training and indoctrination. "Further testing is required. Recommend use of electro-therapy and drug administration during exercises. Previous tests have shown that, in small quantities, drugs are ineffective. Recommend large doses."

Butch looked up at the soldier with weary eyes, not hearing the man's words. Darkness came to cloud his vision, and he blacked out.

* * *

Reilly set a map down on a table, unfolding it and smoothing its creases. It was a top-down view of the Capital Wasteland, albeit one from before the Great War that was part of a tourism brochure. For their purposes, however, it worked quite nicely. Carl, Brick, Miles, Donovan and Trigger all gathered around it, looking at a number of red circles and lines that had been drawn on the grey image.

"Miles has spotted them here, here and here," Reilly told them, pointing to three locations near Rivet City. "Brick spotted two of them landing and taking off here," she indicated a spot near the northernmost section of the D.C. ruins. "And we've been picking up strange radio signals that seem to indicate communication between them. Whoever they are, they change their frequency every half-hour, making it extremely difficult to keep track of them."

"So we still don't know who they are?" Trigger asked.

Reilly shook her head. "No. We've seen some people in power armor, but it's not the Brotherhood. And we know the Brotherhood; they don't have that kind of an air-vehicle. Profile doesn't match the Outcasts, and neither do the paint jobs on the vehicles."

Donovan spoke up. "I know what they are," he said, causing the other Rangers to look at him. "Yeah... the vehicles, I mean. I was in the old technology museum in the Maul once, and there was a miniature replica of the vehicle you guys have been describing. It had a small plate that gave some historical information on it. They're called vertibirds."

"Anything else?" Reilly asked her trusted tech advisor.

He shrugged. "I didn't pay it much mind, that's all I can truly recall. I can tell you that it's damn unusual that they'd be flying around. Simply maintaining them would be an incredible chore, requiring very experienced technicians and facilities that, frankly, I didn't even know still existed."

"I don't like it," Carl said, folding his arms. "This whole thing stinks to high heaven."

Miles, the only one among them who was sitting down at the table, pointed at a location near Rivet City on the map. "Here is where they're most concentrated. The old Jefferson Memorial building. I saw a lot of them taking off and landing in rapid succession around there, and now they've constructed some kind of energy field around the perimeter of the place. I took a test shot at it from far away, didn't even go through. Caused some kind of energy disturbance; looked like lightning shooting off."

"Energy field?" Trigger repeated Miles' words with narrow, disbelieving eyes. "Who the hell has that kind of technology?"

"They do, apparently," Reilly answered.

Brick took a drink of beer before asking Reilly, "So then, what's our plan? What do we do?"

"For now, I don't know what we can do, besides wait and watch to see what happens," their leader replied, folding up the map. "We don't know who these people are yet, but I imagine we'll learn soon enough. Everyone, resume patrols, maintain radio contact and watch your head out there. Whatever's going on, the Rangers are going to be a part of it."

The Rangers dispersed. Reilly returned to the radio room, where she resumed attempting to figure out what was going on out there. A nearby radio, one that had been playing relaxing jazz tunes, was now projecting the charismatic voice of Three Dog. She turned to listen.

* * *

"Ladies, gentlemen, intelligent mutants within earshot, everybody and everything else, this is Three Dog! Your friendly neighborhood disk jockey, bringing you the news, no matter how bad it hurts. Lots of things going down in this little post-apocalyptic slice of heaven we call home today, children! So let's cut to the chase.

"Now, I know what you're all begging to hear: the latest update on those two earth-shakers from Vault 101, Lloyd and Amata. Well, things've been quiet, folks. Ever since the folks at Megaton saw the Wandering Pair and their friends depart with one local Lucy West in tow, nobody's seen nor heard anything about them since.

"However, reports from merchants and other wasteland wanderers is that Evergreen Mills has gone quiet. Nobody knows quite for sure what's going down in that place, but it's been reported that raiders go in and don't come out. Eyewitness accounts say that the Wandering Pair and their traveling party were headed west, in the direction of that scum pit. A coincidence? Nobody knows.

"In other equally strange news, strange black choppers have been seen on the horizon for the past two nights now. Reports of figures in dark armor, wielding strong energy weapons are starting to flood in. I don't know about you, children, but something about that smells fishy to me."

For a few moments, there was silence. Those listening across the wastes with the volume turned up high could hear low voices, and paper crumbling. Three Dog got back in front of the microphone, his voice considerably more somber and serious.

"Children... I just received terrible news. You all know James, right? That scientist from the vault, Lloyd's father? I'm told that we just got a report that the man's been killed. Details are extraordinary sketchy, and we're waiting on confirmation of much of the story, but it goes that James died in front of Lloyd's eyes from radiation. Rumor is, and this is where it gets strange, children... the Enclave, or specifically President Eden's trained monkey, Colonel Autumn, killed the man.

"We're still getting intel on this one, kids, but a report from the Brotherhood indicates that those choppers are from the Enclave." Three Dog turned away from the mic to ask a question to someone else, then he resumed his dialogue. "The story goes that Lloyd and Amata finally found James, and they went to Rivet City to recruit resident scientist Dr. Li and her team. Remember that project I mentioned? James wanted to give clean, fresh, life-giving water to the wastes. Well, they went to finish their work at the old Jefferson Memorial building, only to be attacked by the Enclave.

"Children, understand that I'm just as excited and terrified by this news as you. I'm getting word from the guys downstairs that more people are tuning from all over. I'll repeat what I've been saying up until now: The Enclave are here. Their choppers are flying in the sky, and they've taken the life of James Freeman, visionary scientist, the man who wanted to give clean water to the wasteland, father of Lloyd of the Wandering Pair. Lloyd, if you're still alive, and listening... I'm sorry. Your father was a real cool cat.

"I'm now getting word that the choppers have been sighted outside of Megaton in the nearby dead town of Springvale. More details on this as it develops..."

* * *

The singular great gate of Megaton, constructed from the scrapped wings of a plane, had closed, barring entrance and exit. The railed walkway above the gate, which usually held the watchful sniper Stockholm, now supported both the sniper and sheriff Lucas Simms. They watched as another vertibird landed in the nearby town of Springvale.

"That's the fifth one in the last two hours," Stockholm said as he sighted the chopper in his sniper rifle's scope.

Lucas' eyes narrowed. "Hmm. It's making me nervous. What are they planning?"

"Looks like we might find out, sheriff. I'm seeing some coming this way." Stockholm held the rifle down as he looked up at Lucas. "What now?"

"If they're gonna make talk, we'll talk," Simms replied. He squinted as he saw a man in a tan military uniform and black cap, flanked by three soldiers in black power armor, walk up the path leading to the front gate. They stopped about ten yards short of the metal structure.

The man in the military uniform spoke up, loudly and clearly. From this distance, Lucas could see that the man was Caucasian, with blonde hair. "I am here to speak with a selected representative of this community."

Lucas looked at Stockholm, then back down at the man. "I'm the sheriff, and mayor. You can talk to me. Who are you?"

"I am Captain Welker of the Enclave. I am here to order you to open the gate of your community on authority of the President of the United States and give quarter to Enclave troops and assist in any further capacity we would require of you."

"I can't let you do that, I'm afraid. This is a free town. Your president has no authority here."

"President John Henry Eden has authority over the entirety of the United States of America, from sea to shining sea, due to the historical claim of rightful ownership over the entirety of the United States of America by the federal government and its elected representatives. There is no higher authority in America than the Enclave, and no higher authority within the Enclave than President Eden. If you cooperate, you will find yourselves a place in the new nation he will create. If you do not, you will be branded traitors to the government and will be treated as such."

Lucas' eyes narrowed. "Just what do you want with our town?"

"I and these soldiers are here in accordance with an outreach program laid out and approved by our superiors to build relationships with native communities. We offer protection, with our superior weapons, training and technology, in exchange for fealty and complete cooperation with the desires of your government."

"And just what do you mean by fealty?"

"Your community will only prosper under the rule of the Enclave. Its property will be recognized as United States territory. Soldiers will be given room to freely quarter in each allied outpost, to better garrison the town. Soon, the Enclave will have access to limitless supplies with which we can better the health of the people of this land. We will offer the services I have mentioned in addition to the stream of supplies, but only if you agree to our terms."

"And if we don't? What if we find a better offer elsewhere?"

Welker shook his head. "Quite simply, you won't. Until you agree, we will not allow anyone to enter or exit this community, for trade or any other reason. You will agree to the terms posed by President Eden or your community will die. It is your choice... sheriff."

Lucas didn't initially reply. His grip on the railing tightened. "Is this how your president offers allegiance to others? Threats of violence?"

"We could easily destroy your town, sheriff. We seek to avoid such needless slaughter. Now, I have told you of the benefits of joining under the Enclave's rule. The choice before you has been laid out, and the path should be clear. If you were a sensible man, you would already have the answer. Are you a sensible man, sheriff?"

"I suppose I'm not," Lucas called out, before turning and leaving. Stockholm watched him go, then looked back to Welker.

"Tell your sheriff that when he comes to his senses, he can contact me via these soldiers."

Welker turned back and headed towards Springvale, where the Enclave had set up a fairly large encampment, leaving the three soldiers behind. One of them was armed with a minigun and the other two carried laser rifles. Stockholm didn't doubt that their weapons could tear apart any Megaton citizen who tried to leave.

Lucas stepped off the metal staircase that led up to the walkway and sighed. He would have to tell everyone in town that they were in a severe situation. Everything about this "Enclave" troubled him, unnerved him in every way. He knew that letting them in would be bad news. But if they were threatening to cut off the trade caravans, Megaton wouldn't last long. As a scavenger society, without a steady stream of trade, things would get deperate. If he couldn't keep the peace...

Troubled times were ahead.

* * *

"You use this thing as a weapon?" Lloyd asked incredulously. Star Paladin Cross smirked as she held up what she referred to as a "super sledge" which was, essentially, a metal sledgehammer that, according to Cross, contained a kinetic device in its head that increased the strength of its blows.

"It has other, practical uses, but yes, I use this in combat. Try holding it," she invited, holding it out to him.

Lloyd reached out and took hold of its handle with both hands, but as soon as Cross let go, the heavy head fell to the earth, despite Lloyd's best attempts to hold it up. Surprised by its weight, he looked at Cross, who seemed to be amused.

"Can you not pick it up?" she asked.

"No, no, I got it," he said, gritting his teeth and pulling up the hammer. After several seconds, he successfully held it up in a position that he believed he could swing it in.

"Good!" Cross said, before stepping up to him and pushing his chest, not too hard, yet strongly enough to cause him to lose his balance and fall down, the super sledge impacting on the concrete alongside him. Cross did not laugh, but her face still betrayed her amusement. "You can't focus all your energy on simply holding a hammer, Son of James."

"So I noticed," he replied, moving to a sitting position. His ears picked up the sounds of sword fighting, and he looked nearby and saw Amata and Sarah sparring with each other with longswords.

After their morning workout, Sarah had taken Amata aside to practice some hand-to-hand combat routines. Once completed, they had moved to knives, and now they fought with swords. Amata particularly shined in this, as she had been using a sword for quite some time. Still, there was room to learn more and Sarah was happy to oblige, eager to get in a little swordplay of her own.

Lloyd had spent the better part of the morning training with his ripper, wielding it like one wields a knife. Cross was his primary training mentor this day, and she instructed him on various uses for it.

While they worked, Cross instructed him on other things as well. In one case, on the subject of the enemy's advanced power armor, she told him, "Power armor is strong, but it does not make one invulnerable. There are ways around it, and every style of power armor has its weaknesses and advantages. You must remember that inside those suits are men, and only men. Men's wills can be broken, their bodies injured in hundreds of ways, and I've never met an opponent I couldn't outsmart. If you are stronger, faster and cleverer than your enemy, you will win the fight, no matter the weapon he wields or the armor he wears. In battle, you must use your heart and your brain, not only your weapon or armor."

Meanwhile, Sarah and Amata continued to fight, their steel weapons ringing loudly as they connected. "Never forget to move your feet," Sarah told her, "but always watch where you step. The last thing you need is for you to trip over a brick or a chunk of rebar sticking out of the wall during battle. You'll expose yourself to your enemy, perhaps offering him a chance at the killing blow."

Amata swung low and Sarah blocked it, trying to spin her blade in such a way that it would disarm Amata. However, the young woman pulled back quickly, disengaging her sword from Sarah's. The women continued to fight, practicing offensive and defensive stances and various techniques that Sarah had long since perfected. Watching her move was fascinating and Amata quickly picked up on the subtle intricacies the sentinel worked into her fighting, such as the way she stepped, swung or simply held her weapon at a proper angle.

By the end of the day, Amata was able to disarm Sarah, a fact she was very proud of. Lloyd, on the other hand, was able to lift up a heavy hammer and not immediately fall down, a feat which he wasn't quite as proud of.

Swinging the hammer, well, that was another story entirely.

* * *

In the halls of the Citadel, a young boy walked. He was a stark contrast to the knights and paladins, with their power armor and guns. He had wiry black hair, and wore a somewhat worn-looking blue suit.

He was Squire Arthur Maxson, last of the Maxson line, descendant of Roger Maxson, founder of the Brotherhood of Steel. Here, in the Capital Wasteland, he had been born to the parents of Jonathan and Jessica ten years ago. Tragically, neither parent had lived up until this point, with his father dying in battle against super mutants and his mother suffering and finally passing from a lung disease that could not be treated. This left him to be raised by the Chapter, specifically Elder Owyn Lyons.

Arthur was being trained for a future he didn't quite understand yet. He knew only what others told him, about the goals of the eastern Brotherhood, the schism with the Outcasts, their enemies in the super mutants and now, the Enclave.

One day, as he was wandering the B-Ring of the Citadel, he nearly bumped into Lloyd and Amata. Though he was nervous, as he was a child and still unsure of the proper way to act to strangers, both of them were very friendly to the young squire. They asked him about his past, which he elaborated on to the best of his ability, telling them that he was the last of the Maxson dynasty, that he was told that his "soul was forged in eternal steel," though he himself had a hard time believing it.

After they parted, as Lloyd and Amata went back to their room for the night, Arthur watched them go. It was a simple meeting, short, and only truly significant because it was just that: the first meeting of the Wandering Pair, and the young squire who would play a very large role in future events. Not that either would know it at the time, of course.

* * *

Rothchild couldn't help but sigh once more as he reviewed the latest diagnostic of Liberty Prime. Few things had changed, and in fact, its power distribution had actually decreased by a factor of three percent. He looked up at the large, immobile robot.

Madison walked near and stopped upon seeing the expression painting his face. "No good news, I'm guessing?" she asked the head scribe.

Rothchild shook his head. "I just don't understand it, Madison. We've done everything we can to try to power this accursed creation and it simply refuses to function. It's as though it has a malevolent AI inside of it that is intentionally working against us at every turn. All we've managed to do is break it in new ways every time we try to turn it on."

"Yet there must be a way," Li insisted. "What about having multiple sources of power situated inside the robot's body, instead of one?"

"It would be too difficult," Rothchild replied as he shook his head. "We simply don't have anything that can generate that amount of power and be that small, and we would have to connect them together and rig them in such a way as to generate energy simultaneously in the exact proper proportion. Not to mention having to open the chest of the machine and move things around to make even more room, which has always proven disastrous."

"Yes, but if we can devise such a power source, perhaps using a large amount of microfusion cells, we could create an all-new power core that, in essence, would have a circulating network of energy-producing junctions that could provide power to all parts of the machine, acting in tandem with one another so none of the junctions reaches a critical level of energy output. If we make the device flexible enough, we could string it all throughout the torso of Liberty Prime, weaving it around the delicate equipment within."

"Have you drawn any plans to go along with this supposed creation?"

"Just a few ideas, really. Even during my time in Rivet City, I had always hypothesized about such a creation to provide more power for the damaged systems of the boat. If you let me have access to a collection of microfusion cells, or energy cells or electron charge packs, I can try rigging a few things together, see what I come up with. Of course, you and I know that microfusion cells are more powerful than either of those."

Rothchild crossed his arms and thought. "Alright, Madison, I'll allow you as many as you need. But remember that those serve as ammunition as well, so take only what you require. Such a system would burn through them very quickly unless we discovered a way to reduce power requirements in key areas that tend to burn out."

Madison nodded, thanking him. "It wouldn't hurt if we had someone far more experienced with robotics on hand, who knew ways to maximize the power efficiency of a mechanized unit."

Rothchild sighed. "Well, we'll work with what we have. Let's continue."

The woman thanked the head scribe and moved away, heading towards her designated workstation in the large underground laboratory. Rothchild once more looked up at Liberty Prime, still immobile, and seeming like it always would be.

* * *

Along the eastern edge of the Capital Wasteland, there was a town known as Canterbury Commons. It was a stopping place for the merchant caravans and it was here that they organized and set trade routes, but other than that, it wasn't too notable. It was a small population of people simply trying to live their lives like so many others in so many other places throughout the surrounding lands.

However, Canterbury Commons did have one thing that other places certainly lacked. Namely, two things: the Mechanist and the AntAgonizer.

"You'll never succeed in terrorizing this town! For it is under the protection of the Mechanist!" shouted a man in a metal suit, fashioned to make him resemble a robot. The helmet, in particular, seemed very much like a bucket turned upside down with eyes and a mouthpiece. Alongside him were numerous mechanical constructs and robots armed with deadly lasers and other weaponry. The machines were ready for war.

Across the road from him, alongside a large group of giant ants who clicked their mandibles in anticipation was a woman in an outfit that made her resemble a humanoid ant, complete with brown armored plating and large, yellow eyes in the mask below two antennae. She shouted back, in an equally dramatic tone, "You and your pathetic array of cobbled-together tin cans are no match for me and my army of insects!" She then laughed, not unlike a maniacal genius would cackle to himself in a bad television special.

The Mechanist stomped on the ground and pointed up at the sky, proclaiming, "The citizens of this community have nothing to fear! For the Mechanist is here to protect them from the evils of this ant-witch!"

On that topic, all the civilians who had been outside when the two showed up were now hiding inside the local diner and others were in their homes, behind locked doors. All were terrified of the damage the two self-claimed superhumans would cause; all of them save for one, a young lad by the name of Derek Pacion, who was fascinated by and in awe of the two. He wanted to run out of the diner and get closer to watch the amazing display, but he was held back by a young woman named Machete, who didn't want the boy to be caught in the crossfire.

The AntAgonizer, hearing the Mechanist's proclamation, laughed. "Hah! We'll see about that, you fool! Attack, my ant soldiers! Tear his tin toys to pieces with your mighty claws and destroy this insignificant metal worm!"

As if on mental command, the ants around her moved forth. The Mechanist immediately commanded his machines to fight back, and the conflict truly began. The ants charged the robots, and the robots fired their many weapons at the giant insects.

The Mechanist pulled out his laser pistol, the Protectron's Gaze, and fired it at the AntAgonizer. She ducked under the tri-beam blast of the red lasers and pulled out her own weapon, a knife coated in poison known as the Ant's Sting. She charged at the Mechanist, howling for vengeance.

The Mechanist brought up his leg and kicked out at her, but she dodged and swiped at his side with her poisonous knife. She missed, however, allowing him to roll aside and re-aim his laser pistol and he fired. She turned her upper body quickly, narrowly avoiding the beams, which hit a nearby building's boarded-up window and set it on fire, not that he noticed that it was a home with people inside of it.

She turned the knife in her hand upside-down and leapt at him, trying to impale it upon him, but he reached up and took hold of the wrist of the hand that held the knife. He tried to aim his gun at her torso, but she took hold of his gun hand and held it aside.

Now, they stood, pushing against each other, masked faces inches away, while their respective minions battled around them, tearing each other apart. The man in metal gritted his teeth and shouted, "Give up, AntAgonizer! The Mechanist will always be here to stop you!"

"Never! Humanity doesn't deserve to live after destroying the world they worked so hard to achieve! The noble ant shall soon dominate the Earth!"

"Humans may make mistakes, but their spirit will never be crushed! You and your mutant army shall never conquer the world, not as long as I live!"

"Then you shall die!"

"You'll need more than ants if you ever hope to stop the mechanical power of mankind's greatest achievements!"

"My ants are all I need to destroy you and this town, and soon, all others!"

"Your reign of terror will come to an end, and you will see judgment for the fear you have spread to the good people of this town!"

"You are a fool, relying on old world technology to defeat the primal power of the insect! Your toy robots are no match for my furious fighting soldier ants!"

"Like the men I protect, I shall rise against the evils of your mutant army!"

"I will enjoy wiping your name from the annals of history!"

Their ridiculous and overblown banter was interrupted by a large, black chopper flying right above their heads. They looked on as it landed further up the street, deploying three soldiers in dark, sinister-looking armor. They carried energy weapons and as soon as the chopper took off, flying beyond sight once it had cleared the buildings, one of the soldiers spoke. His voice was carried to the ears of everyone in the town by some kind of technological enhancement, like a megaphone built into his helmet. He was apparently addressing the civilians of the town, though not looking directly at him.

"Citizens of Canterbury Commons. Do not be alarmed. We are the Enclave. Having studied this community with our eyebots and listening to radio broadcasts, we have determined the best course of action to be taken and are here to rid your town of the two individuals deemed mentally incompetent and dangerous. Do not get involved. This matter will be resolved very shortly."

The soldiers raised their guns and began to fire on the giant ants and robots, which, at their master's bidding, had paused in their battle. The Mechanist and the AntAgonizer fell back from each other and ran to take cover from the new battle as the ants and robots tried to defend themselves.

Both hid around buildings, and were across the street from each other. The Mechanist looked over at his hated foe. "AntAgonizer! Though it pains me to no end, you and I must join forces against this evil Enclave, for they seek both of our deaths!"

The woman stopped and looked at him, seemingly considering his words. "Oh, damn the fortunes of life! You are correct, Mechanist, we must fight side-by-side to drive off this new common enemy! But know that I take no pleasure in it!"

"Nor do I, you vile insect queen! Now command your soldiers to fight!"

"And you as well!"

The robots and giant ants turned to the Enclave soldiers. The ants charged while the robots fired their weapons from afar. Though the soldiers were strong, and well-trained, the combined might of the ferocious ants of the AntAgonizer and technological robots of the Mechanist. Soon the three soldiers were overwhelmed, one of them torn apart, another blasted to death by the robots. The remaining soldier had his weapon torn out of his hands by an ant before being swarmed by two others.

Derek, still watching from the diner, thought it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen in his life.

The two costumed individuals approached the surviving soldier, who was held down by two ants while a sentry bot pointed its laser-minigun at his head. Nearby, the one of the Mechanist's robots collected the weaponry and armor of the fallen Enclave soldiers. Realizing he was disarmed, the survivor looked up at them. "More of us will be coming, you freaks," he coughed. "You cannot stop the Enclave."

"Let them come!" the AntAgonizer challenged. "Let them come and see the might of the AntAgonizer for themselves, like you and your allies have! Prepare to die, fool!"

The Mechanist held up a hand. "Hold, AntAgonizer! We must let him live, to bring the warning back to his Enclave. To spread news of the terror that awaits them, should they dare return to attack the town protected by the Mechanist!" The Mechanist, in his delusional mind, had managed to forget that they had come to kill him, not harm the town.

The AntAgonizer thought on that, and smiled. "Yes, you are correct." She waved a hand, and the ants released the soldier from their pinchers. "Go then, puny soldier! Go and spread word of the AntAgonizer!"

The Enclave soldier stood up and backed away. "Fucking crazy wastelanders," he mumbled, before turning and leaving the town.

The two costumed foes turned to one another. "So here we are yet again," the AntAgonizer said.

"Indeed! We two are still here, and once we are finished with the Enclave, for his warning that more were coming is something we mustn't forget, we shall finish our fight, you and I!"

"Indeed we shall!" She turned to her remaining ants. "Come, my minions! Come back to our lair! We shall return when more choppers fill the sky!" She left, leading her soldiers away.

"And we shall as well!" the Mechanist promised, before collecting his robots and leaving the town, heading in the opposite direction of his foe.

Derek ran out of the diner and then looked back at the others he had left behind. "That was the coolest thing ever!" he shouted, waving his arms and jumping.

* * *

The great foundry of Evergreen Mills had, at its uppermost floor, a large window that allowed one to overlook the entirety of the canyon. Most of its glass was broken, or boarded up, but behind that window and looking out of it was Jericho, standing still and seeing the people of this place scurry about below.

It hadn't been easy, what he and his son had been doing. Raiders are a tough people to change. Once someone lives a life of freedom, going where he wants and doing what he wants, to who he wants, and once he becomes comfortable doing so, change seems a very nasty, very undesirable thing. Jericho knew, personally, how difficult it was for one to give up that kind of life.

He knew that most people wouldn't initially see any kind of benefit from doing so. Already, some people didn't like the plans Jarrod had been drawing up, with Jericho behind him every step of the way, guiding him and advising him. Jarrod was the war chief, the Top Dog, so he was able to keep most people in line with a simple idle threat.

Thing is, that didn't always work. Others had started to question his leadership. They didn't like the change Jarrod was suddenly promoting, and they protested, sometimes with words, sometimes with threats but mostly with guns and grenades. Jericho didn't like it, but he knew that sometimes people needed to be made an example of, especially those who would try to kill his son.

Jarrod didn't know how long they could keep it up. Even though both he and his father were capable fighters, he doubted that they could withstand a full rebellion against them if it came down to that.

Jericho kept assuring his son that the plan would work in the long-term. Raiders may be assholes, but not all of them are idiots. They needed a place like Evergreen Mills. Jericho posed a question to his son one day, which was, "You ever notice how the raiders that leave Evergreen Mills always come back? That the ones that don't are dead?"

Jericho knew a simple truth. Raiders can live, meagerly, in their own forts and bases, but none of them were ever as large and successful as Evergreen was. Smart raiders always came back to spend caps on whores, drugs or guns, so no matter what, raiders would always be returning.

Jericho knew the troubles associated with trying to change raiders. More than one person had died already. Others either fled or fell into line, intimidated either by the prospect of losing Evergreen Mills as a hideout, or by Jarrod, who had proven himself to be a bloodthirsty warlord. Regardless, Evergreen had, currently, a large enough population to facilitate rebuilding, a process which Jarrod was overseeing.

Jericho's idea was to use the old factory to set up a kind of workshop, with which they could manufacture things to sell to the wasteland. Once they started making trade with the caravans, training a kind of police force, punishing crime and jailing criminals, Evergreen would be more like an actual community. It would be long, hard work, certainly something that wouldn't happen overnight, but Jericho would see it done or he would see himself dead.

He also knew that no matter how much he accomplished to that end, people would never stop raiding. The raiders might lose Evergreen Mills, but the wasteland wouldn't lose the raiders. 'Assholes'll always have a place to run to an' hide,' he thought to himself distastefully.

He had grown rather fond of listening to G.N.R. lately. Three Dog's report on Lloyd's father's death, however, shook him out of visions of the future. He listened intently, and when it was done, he sat back, reflecting.

'Damn, kid...' he thought. To finally find his father, only to watch him die, must've been tough. He contrasted how much his son would have loved to have seen Jericho dead once, but had he not overcome his own child, Jarrod's life would have remained empty and hollow. The report didn't make mention of whether Lloyd was alive or dead, but the old, former raider knew better. The Wandering Pair was too clever for that.

He looked back out the window. He had, on occasion lately, seen those black vertibirds in the distance. 'Enclave, eh?' he though, leaning against the bars of the window's frame. He wasn't sure what he could do, but nobody was going to cross Lloyd and Amata without some retribution coming their way. Jericho would see to it. The people of Evergreen Mills were like a blind rapid animal, looking to strike out at the first thing that they could without any thought behind it.

Over the last few days, Jericho had pondered what kind of enemy he could present the raiders of Evergreen Mills to take the focus off of himself and his son. He had that enemy now. By telling Jarrod how to properly word it to his followers, he knew that he could direct almost every raider in the wastes out at the Enclave.

It was going to be fun.

* * *

Butch looked in the mirror. True to Eden's words, all of the wounds sustained during his last training session had healed up completely. He still didn't know how, or why, but he was willing to accept it, since the pain from the beatings and the merciless training sessions went away faster because of it. He turned the sink's faucet on, splashing his face with water. His new cell was larger than the pods the rest of the inhabitants of Vault 101 were still enduring, but it wasn't much of an improvement. He still felt just as confined; only now he had room to stretch his legs.

He sat on the edge of his bed, ringing his hands over each other a few times. He didn't know what the hell Eden, or the Enclave, truly wanted from him. He just wanted the training to get easier and the beatings to stop. He convinced himself that if he got better, performed to their expectations, maybe even beyond them, the torment would end. But it's not like he hadn't tried, it's just that they demanded so much.

The door to his cell opened, and an officer stepped in. In his hand he held a plasma pistol, and pointed it at him. "Time to get moving," he said.

Butch stood and followed him, knowing it was futile to do anything else. The officer led him to a new area this time, however, instead of the usual training location. This place had tubes with large, monstrous animals suspended in them, one of them containing a tall, muscular, green-skinned man that Butch could only marvel at. The place was full of scientists, hustling about, checking computer screens, clipboards and briefly communicating with each other about various forms of data.

They instructed him to get onto a metal table and to take off the top part of his jumpsuit, which would expose his torso and arms. Wary at first, he complied when the officer poked him in the back with the plasma pistol and disrobed, stepping onto the cold surface and lying on his back. His arms were quickly secured by metal cuffs, as were his feet along with one around his neck and waist. He quickly started to panic, shouting, "Hey, come on, what is this? I've been pretty goddamn patient with the beatings, you know, so I'd like some goddamn answers! Let me out of his thing!" He struggled, but the restraints were too strong.

They quickly injected him with some kind of relaxant, which made things fuzzy to look at.

Small, white suckers with wires attached were placed at the sides of his forehead. Immediately, they began sterilizing parts of his skin, mostly his arms, preparing him for more injections. Soon, his perception became even more impaired, his vision blurred even further, and questions fled from his mind as he began to ride a small series of sensations that gradually overwhelmed all of his senses.

He didn't even notice as a mask was fitted over his mouth, filtering gases into his lungs. The scientists around him monitored his physical condition, taking note of every change and alteration to his current being. Drugs, similar to Jet, Psycho and other semi-dangerous medications unknown to the Capital Wasteland were being used on him in large quantities.

Butch's eyes drifted shut as the drugs ran through his system.

A nearby orb with a glowing blue center that made it resemble a mechanical eye watched the progress with great interest. From a speaker beneath it, President Eden's voice emerged. "Any difficulties so far, doctor?" he asked the head scientist.

The man replied, "None, Mr. President. The subject will be ready for further testing in a short while."

"Excellent. Are the new testing equipment and "subjects" ready as well?"

"All prepared."

"Excellent. I will be expecting a full report once all is done."

"Yes, Mr. President." The lead scientist returned to monitoring Butch's progress.

Eden continued to watch the youthful test subject with great interest.

* * *

"Hello, America. This is your president, John Hen... Hen... hahahah!" Three Dog cracked up on live radio, ending his nasally impression of Eden. "I'm just fooling around with you, children! Don't touch that dial, you're on the right station, I assure you. This is Three Dog and you're listening to Galaxy News, the only source of free and true information in this wasteland.

"But it's time to get serious. Children, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the Enclave are bad news. I'm getting reports that they've got Megaton surrounded, and are refusing access to anyone until the town surrenders to their demands. Local sheriff Lucas Simms is refusing to bend to their will, but without trade for food and other supplies, who knows how long the town will last. Stay strong, Megaton! You can survive if you just hold on!

"In other news, the town of Canterbury Commons, home to two weirdos I've mentioned before—namely, those two crazy cats who dress up and battle in the streets with robots and giant ants—has also come under attack, but, in a turn of events I swear I couldn't make up if I tried, the two battling wackos have teamed up and are fighting the Enclave off! Crazy, I know, I know!

"This aggressive expansion on the Enclave's part is dark tidings, children. The ones outside Megaton claim that they're trying to "build relationships with the locals" but don't believe them, true believers! The Enclave and their "president" are _not_ here to help you. Remember, they killed James, that noble scientist who wanted to give the world clean water. Never forget that! They might offer something with one hand, but they've got a gun in the other!

"Details will continue to be brought up as they pour in, so stay tuned. Here's some music."

G.N.R. began to play soft, classical tunes. Nova, or Lucile as she was now known, reached over and turned the radio's volume down. She was sitting at the bar in the saloon that used to belong to Moriarty. "Things look bad," she remarked to Gob, who was cleaning the bar. He nodded.

"Yeah... things aren't shapin' up very nicely. I don't know how Lucas is gonna keep the peace around here."

"Once they run out of food over at the Brass Lantern, we'll be next," Lucile said, taking a somber gulp of vodka. She sighed as she set the bottle down, feeling the dull burn of the drink in her stomach. It helped dull some of her worry.

The ghoul's dim eyes looked at her, taking in her fair skin, red hair and lovely lips. "They won't hurt you," he told her, causing her to look back up at him. "At least you can be sure of that," he said softly, before looking away and resuming his cleaning.

The woman smiled and put her hand on his, normal skin touching scarred and burnt skin. Their eyes met. "I know, Gobby. Thanks." Her smile was warm.

The stare between them held for some time.

DLPHIN

Outside Rivet City, the intercom buzzed to life a voice asking, "Yeah? Who's there?"

"It's Harkness, Johansen. Bring the bridge over, kindly."

"Oh, uh, yes sir! Right away sir!"

Harkness looked back to his human companion with a knowing smile, which she couldn't help but giggle at.

A moment later, the great metal bridge that led to the city began to swing from its prone position towards the metal platform that Harkness and Lucy stood on. The steel bridge, supported by thick cables, came to a resting position in front of the pair. Immediately they began to cross it, heading towards the wrecked aircraft carrier that now served as the hub of civilization known as Rivet City.

As they passed the guard, Harkness gave a short wave. The man waved back, recognizing the android as his former captain.

Opening the door to the marketplace, they descended the staircase and stepped onto the main market floor. "So, what's the thinking?" Lucy asked.

"We'll stay in Rivet City until we figure out what's going on out there. If Lloyd's alive, we'll try to find him." He looked at her. "Hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah... I am. How'd you know?"

"Educated guess. Come on, food's on me," he said, moving towards Gary's Galley.

"You don't need to do that, we can both pay," she said, lighting tapping his shoulder with her fist.

He turned to her and leaned close. "If I don't need to maintain the illusion of eating in front of you, I only need to pay for one person. Let me be a gentlemen," he whispered before leaning away. She smiled as his words sunk in.

"Alright, fine," she said, with a bit of teasing defiance.

After ordering and sitting down, Harkness and Lucy infrequently discussed what their next move was in between pauses for her to eat. "I'm going to ask around, maybe there're some rumors flying about regarding Project Purity or our friends," the android explained.

"What about tonight?"

He sat back a bit, leaving one of his hands on the table's surface. "I still have a room on this boat. You could sleep there, if you wanted."

"You're not going to sleep?"

"Well, I don't actually need to," he said quietly, yet simply, as if it didn't matter.

Lucy took another bite of Salisbury steak, taking a moment to chew before swallowing. "Nice bed?" she asked, to which he nodded. She made a small noise in acceptance. She looked around the interior of the marketplace, taking note of the dark, metal walls. "Say, Christopher... how sound-proof do you figure these walls are?"

He looked up from his thoughts and titled his head, surprised by her question. "Well, some areas are probably worse than others, but on the whole, I'd say that they're pretty soundproof. Why?"

"Well..." she said, setting down her fork and putting her hand on his own, "...what if I want you to join me?"

Harkness cocked an eyebrow, catching her meaning. "Oh... Well, I suppose that depends entirely on whether or not you actually do," he countered, leaning slightly forwards.

A small, subtle smile crept over Lucy's lips. Ideas flashed through her mind, and her curiosity rose exponentially in a relatively short amount of time. "Maybe I do." She also leaned closer, fixing catlike eyes upon him. Her fingers gingerly traced around the back of his hand.

He smirked, an equal amount of playfulness in his eyes. "I think I can do that."

* * *

There are dark places in the Capital Wasteland. Places where monsters lurk in deep caverns, feasting on the flesh of their fallen victims. Fields painted with the blood of prey, hunted down and feasted upon. The mutated remnants of animals from before the war were now monstrous reflections of their predecessors, and in a land like this, only the rage of the hunt guided their actions, a never-ending bloodlust that drives them forward, blindly striking out at anything that draws near. From the radscorpion to the deathclaw, all wildlife hunted and killed in an endless cycle of death. But other places, where people live, can look civilized and maintain a degree of order on the outside, but conceal an evil just as vile as any other, its people giving in to base instinct and desire.

Evergreen Mills was one of these places, before the Wandering Pair and their entourage had scoured it, freeing its trapped behemoth and razing its bazaar. Now, there was only one other place like it in the wastelands surrounding the D.C. ruins: Paradise Falls. In this place, with walls constructed of scrap metal, buildings hollowed out for living space and great chain-link fences that served as pens, a very different kind of society from Evergreen Mills thrived.

This was a place not for raiders, specifically, but slavers, those who profited in the acquisition and sale of people. Here, slavers were welcome, for Paradise Falls was where they congregated, where they brought their merchandise and where it was purchased. Here, they drank, they sang, they celebrated their dark craft and took pleasure in the occasional torturing of one of their "lower-value" slaves. No remorse, shame, or mercy is felt in a place like this, except by the slaves.

And among men and women like this, Eulogy Jones was king. Much like the hierarchy of Evergreen Mills, when you kill the Top Dog, you become the leader. Eulogy had killed, and therefore replaced, a crazed tribal named Harmon Jurley. Eulogy, now that he was king of the hill, as it were, lived a life of luxury, relaxation and endless women supplied to him, whether the women in question liked it or not. He was smooth, well-spoken and knew the tricks of his trade better than any other. He negotiated deals between high-stakes buyers, like the envoys of Ashur, from the Pitt.

Eulogy wore a suave red suit, and lived in his dimly-lit pad, the most notable feature of which was its massive, heart-shaped bed. Eulogy was constantly followed by two women: Crimson, of African descent, and Clover, a blonde with half of her hair shaved. Both women had been purchased a few months back and in that time Eulogy had successfully brainwashed the both of them, turning them into submissive, subservient, perfect slaves, eager to please their master in any way he asked and always apologizing when he verbally abused them, which he often did.

Crimson wasn't anything particularly special, save for her exotic looks as far as Eulogy was concerned, but Clover on the other hand was a slave he adored. He considered her the best kind of crazy, which, to put it bluntly, she was. Clover was madly in love with Eulogy and jealous of the other women he used for his own hedonistic desires. Once, she had killed another woman Eulogy had slept with using her favorite weapon: a Chinese longsword. Eulogy, on the whole, was vastly entertained by her efforts to become his favorite, as he felt it made her a much better bodyguard.

On this evening in particular, as he was preparing to dirty the sheets with his two favorite women, Eulogy was startled as he heard the sounds of gunfire outside. He jumped out of bed, leaving the two women behind, as he stormed outside of his pad to discover that parts of Paradise Falls were on fire. The slavers were running around, shouting that they were under attack.

Eulogy heard an overwhelming whooshing noise and a dark-colored vertibird flew overhead, landing just outside the reach of the thick fence which surrounded Paradise Falls. A series of explosions were heard moments later as a hole was blasted in one of the walls, allowing Enclave soldiers to storm in. From the second floor of his pad, Clover watched it all unfold with wide eyes.

Eulogy backed up inside, unsure of what to do. He was no military leader, and a sizeable force this well-organized and powerful had never been expected to attack—he was completely unprepared to deal with this kind of assault. He couldn't even begin to guess at who these people were. He ran to find his gun, instead finding only Clover, his sawnoff shotgun in one hand and her sword in the other.

"Clover? The hell're you—"

He found himself cut off and unable to speak, interrupted by her sword impaling his neck. The woman smiled innocently, throwing in a cute wink. "Sorry, Big Daddy..." she said before pulling out the blade. Eulogy choked and fell to the ground, gurgling up blood, grasping at her ankles.

Crimson ran into the room then and saw what was happening. Clover raised the sawnoff and fired once, blasting the other woman's head to gory bits. "Sorry to you too, honey."

The only remaining survivor in the room smiled wickedly as she knelt down and searched Eulogy's corpse, finally finding the key to her slave collar. She unlocked it and sighed as the tight, explosive constraint finally fell free from her neck, and with its absence she felt completely free at last. No longer would she have to pretend to love Eulogy, for it made her sick to her stomach to do so. No more lies, no more pretending, no more waiting for her time to come... only freedom.

She didn't know who those people were out there, but she doubted severely that they would let her live if they found her. But she had a special hiding place, and so, gathering up every bit of food, water and ammunition she could find in the late Eulogy's pad, she went to a hole in the wall and then, once inside, covered it up with a piece of plywood, making it resemble simply another patched-up hole.

During the course of the battle, as the Enclave forces decimated the slavers, the electric fences that held the slaves shorted out. A group of three children, very clever little children, had prepared for such an event. They immediately fled from their cages once one of them unlocked the front gate, dodging enemy fire, running straight into the nearby bathrooms where a sewer grate just large enough for children to fit through was located. Once inside, they skillfully removed the slave collars (a trick one of them had learned to do long ago) and made their way home. In the chaos, some of the other slaves, adults, managed to escape as well, though unfortunately, none survived.

The unorganized and rowdy slavers did not last much longer beyond the Enclave's initial attack. The second wave of the power armor-clad soldiers managed to wipe out any further resistance. Paradise Falls was left behind, much of it burnt, and with only one survivor. Clover emerged from her hiding place hours after the attack had ended, stretching her arms and dusting herself off. As she picked her way gingerly through the wreckage, she was delighted to find that Eulogy's corpse had been untouched.

She always had liked that red suit.

* * *

Amata casually draped her arm across Lloyd's chest as she snuggled closer to him. In response, he pulled her a little closer and turned his head down to look at her. They were lying in bed, the sheet pulled over their partially clad forms. They liked this, being so close, almost close enough to feel each other's heartbeats. He smiled and softly kissed her forehead, which made her smile as well.

She looked up at him and spoke softly. "Hey..."

"What?"

"I was... just thinking, I guess."

"About what?"

She was silent, but her embrace around him tightened a bit. "I can't stop thinking about it."

He swallowed. "I know. Me too."

"But... you know something?" she said after he had been silent for a moment.

"Hmm?"

She pulled him even closer, if that were possible, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm really glad I still have you, Lloyd..."

A peaceful comfort washed over him from her tender words. "I love you, Amata."

"I love you too," she said, before shifting closer to kiss him.

The sweet moment ended, and sleep came for them soon afterwards.

* * *

Lucy rolled over, panting heavily. She stretched her arms up over her head, grabbing the headboard of the bed and gripping it tightly, for no other reason than she simply felt the need to. Her toes curled. Her chest heaved as she took large, deep breaths and her hair stuck to her forehead, matted with sweat. Her eyelids fluttered before she finally managed to keep them shut.

After what she felt must have been endless minutes, she calmed down, managing to relax. She felt calmer and happier than she had in her entire life, or so she currently believed, riding the waves of her post-orgasmic bliss. She did certainly know that she had never felt this utterly satisfied, or wonderfully fulfilled, that was a given.

She rolled over and sighed contentedly as she felt the desire to touch Harkness, to feel the heat from his body, to simply remain connected to him. She embraced him, moving her body to fit the folds of his own as he lied in the bed. He looked down at her and scanned her with his eyes, almost like an instinctual habit.

The infrequent rate of breath, the random patterns of sweat running across her skin, the ministrations of her fingers as they played across his own skin... The form of her body, so delightfully unique and her own, which he was now physically acquainted with, was beautiful to him. He couldn't help but run his hand down her backside once more, feeling its smoothness and temperature, cool in some places, hot in others.

Her eyes opened lazily, and her pupils were glazed over. "That was..." she began, but her voice trailed off. She was at an honest loss for words. She closed her eyes as the preceding events flashed through her mind, and a wider smile grew as she softly bit her bottom lip. Her eyes opened again and she said, "You know... after that, I'm having trouble believing you're human."

He chuckled, replying, "Do you say that to all the androids you sleep with?"

They shared a short laugh at the little joke amongst new lovers. Lucy closed her eyes once more and continued to lie next to him, soon falling asleep, feeling closer to him than any man she had ever known.

Harkness continued to view her, as he did not need to sleep. Yet he remained still for her benefit, knowing that if he were to move, she would awaken and question why he had done so.

'I wonder,' he thought. 'I could be out there, searching for answers, looking for the Wandering Pair and learning about who those people in power armor were, and yet... I stay here, for her, to give her something to lie next to. I recognize that useful things could be done right now, but I would actually prefer to stay here, with her, more than anything else. Even when she is unconscious, she is beautiful to me. Could this be, then, the definition of love? The willingness to sacrifice something important in the face of simply keeping company with the one you care about?'

'There is no logic in this,' his android self pointed out.

'I don't think there is supposed to be,' his human side countered. 'And if it were measurable with science, I don't think it would be nearly as magical.'

* * *

Star Paladin Cross sat on her knees in her room, the door locked behind her. Her room did not have a bed, nor a desk, or indeed anything at all; its walls were blank and its floor was clean. Cross let loose a heavy sigh. Her armor was getting heavy and night drew ever further on. She needed her rest, though she did not need to sleep. She needed reprieve from her metal shell, the custom-fitted power armor she wore every day.

She was methodical, taking off each piece of steel one at a time and placing them in a very specific pattern before her. Finally, she was down to the black-grey suit that was worn beneath the steel. She unzipped it and stepped out of it, folding it up and setting it aside. Nearby lay the ARM, her super sledge, a great relic of the western Brotherhood and her honored weapon.

She brought her arms forward, opening her eyes to look at them. Mechanical constructs, each resembling perfectly the shape of a human arm but made of shining steel, now served as her limbs. She held her hands up and used all of her willpower to touch the tips of her fingers to her thumbs, the actions of the hands mirroring each other. Once she had done that, she tried to touch her hands together, the tips of each finger touching their twin.

On the first three attempts, she could not sync up her little fingers. Once she could, she moved them apart and focused on articulating every little joint she could: each finger joint, her wrists, the palm and the thumb.

It was difficult, very difficult. All she could use to control her arms with was her brain, requiring a tremendous amount of willpower and strength of mind. During the heat of battle, absolute calm was required on her part. Few people realize how important ones hands truly are, but none knew that quite like Cross did. Her implants were unique, partially designed by Rothchild and a genius of robotics from the Midwest, and they went much further than simply replacing her arms.

Sometimes, Cross felt a terrible pain in her chest, a distraction on top of the concentration she had to expend to have complete control of her arms. Yet, it was a pain she knew she had to endure, for it was a byproduct of the very reason she was still alive. Her torso was scarred in the place where her heart had to be replaced by an energy core that constantly kept her awake and fed, eliminating the need to sleep or eat anything beyond the most rudimentary of foodstuffs.

She guided her hand to the back of her head. Though her fingers had no sensitivity, she could feel the dull ache of the scar that was also there, where part of her lower skull had been damaged, the same location also now concealing a cybernetic enhancement of Rothchild's design that kept her alive just as much as her new "heart" did. Her mind flashed with images of the terrible battle which had left her as she was now, her valiant struggle to defend Elder Lyons.

She closed her eyes and continued to sit, knowing she would do so until morning. She was completely still as she began her nightly meditation, reaching a level of inner peace so few people in the Capital Wasteland ever find.

* * *

The armory of the Citadel was a large place, with many rooms dedicated to the storage of all various types of scavenged weapons and ammunition, and one of the rooms was dedicated solely to the Lyons' Pride. In this room was a large table wrought of iron and around this table gathered the Pride as they collectively prepared their weapons.

Sarah Lyons systematically disassembled her AER9 laser rifle, cleaned its components and then reconfigured it in record time with the same level of discipline that she carried herself with in all tasks. She took careful count of the amount of her microfusion cells, before doing the same thing to her personal laser pistol, a gift from her father, one she privately treasured.

Paladin Vargas, her second-in-command, usually worked with a laser rifle as well. However, he was now cleaning his personal minigun. He cleaned its barrels, checked the interior of the ammo case and ensured that the weapon was in complete working condition by activating its barrel. It made a loud ringing sound as the barrels rapidly spun in place. Had it been loaded, and had he so chosen to do so, it would blast bullets in a wide pattern in a storm of suppressive fire.

Nearby, another soldier worked on a heavy weapon. Paladin Glade, their heavy weapons specialist, was performing maintenance on a gatling laser. The powerful, accurate weapon was not entirely unalike a minigun in function, but in form it looked much different and instead emitted a constant stream of red lasers once fired, making it deadly even from a great distance away. Maintaining a weapon such as this was a difficult task, yet rewarding, considering how useful it was in battle.

Greg Bear, or Paladin Kodiak as he was better known, usually used a standardly issued laser rifle. Now, however, the situation dictated a bit more variety. As the Pride's generalist, he was trained in all manner of weapons and now he was working with a missile launcher. The Brotherhood had collected a large amount of missiles over their years of scavenging, meaning that Kodiak had plenty of ammunition for his weapon. The metal tube, shoulder-mounted, could lock onto targets and fire the explosive shells from great distances, delivering explosive death to whatever—or whomever—was his target.

Knight Captain Colvin considered himself a skilled marksman, able to wield a variety of rifles. For his operations against the Enclave, however, he opted to work with his personally modified scoped laser rifle, though it had taken a considerable amount of repair work on his part in order to facilitate the modification, as weapon mods were rare on the east coast. He looked across the table at Knight Captain Dusk.

Dusk was a woman who considered herself Colvin's rival in more ways than one. Dusk was a sniper, like him, though she preferred to use a proper sniper rifle, and prided herself on her aiming capabilities. She was constantly determined to one-up Colvin, due to her perception of him as a sexist, an impression he had never successfully gotten her to drop. He had once made a pass at her with a rather bad joke, one she had gotten offended at. She ignored him now, focusing on cleaning the long barrel of her rifle and ensuring that its scope was unerringly centered and accurate.

The final member of the pride, Knight Captain Gallows, was the special operations master. He was silent, strong, and did his best work when he operated alone, which he often preferred to do. His many night operations could have netted him more super mutant kills than any other member of the Pride, but even that was unknown, due to the fact that he reported directly only to Sarah Lyons. He was currently checking on and maintaining a small, varied collection of weapons, like a scoped .44 magnum, a silenced 10mm pistol and a Chinese assault rifle.

As they prepared their equipment, Knight Captain Durga, the Brotherhood's Quartermaster, pushed a cart into the room, wheeling in a large collection of metal boxes containing many different types of ammunition. "Here they are," Durga said, stopping the wheels of the cart right in front of the table. "Every kind of armor-piercing round we've managed to collect, for every brand of gun."

"Thank you, Quartermaster Durga," Sarah told the woman. "These bullets might be our only hope for defeating the Enclave's advanced power armor."

"And on that note," Durga said, walking around the table, passing other members of the Pride and stopping in front of the Sentinel. She handed her a piece of paper. "Here's the order from Elder Lyons. The Pride now has official access to the chapter's rarest relics. Congratulations," she said, though he voice didn't carry much enthusiasm. The woman took a moment to wipe sweat from her brow.

Sarah smiled. "Excellent. We'll head there immediately after we're done here."

Durga nodded and left the room. Colvin had begun distributing the armor-piercing rounds to the various members of the Pride, taking care to hand specific brands of the ammo to match a member's chosen weapon, such as giving .308 ammo to Dusk for her sniper and 5mm cases to Vargas for his minigun.

Once each member had taken their proper rations of ammo, Sarah led them down into the lowest levels of the armory. Both she and Vargas stood on either side of a reinforced door, which required a manually input password from each of them, as well as voice identification. Upon meeting both requirements, the massive steel door slid open, revealing a room swathed in blue light.

Inside were ten stasis chambers, each requiring another individual password to deactivate the energy fields so the treasures within them could be obtained by their owners. The members of the Pride approached seven consoles and entered their passwords, allowing them access to the suits of model T-51b power armor.

Stronger, more powerful than and almost twice as protective as the suits of model T-45d power armor that most members of the Eastern Brotherhood wore, the T-51b represented the highest peak of infantry powered armor before the Great War. The Eastern Brotherhood treasured these ten suits of armor, modified over the years by only the most trusted and knowledgeable scribes, refueled and repaired until they were in top possible condition.

It was deemed that they would only be used in the most severe of times, to preserve their use and inspire their fellow brothers. The armored suits were considered to be as close to holy relics as the Eastern Brotherhood could have.

As the stasis fields shut down, the members of the Pride took their suits of armor, leaving three behind. They changed from their T-45d suits into the T-51b suits without words, for donning the armor was considered a serious and somber thing. Unlike T-45d suits, T-51b power armor did not require a specific bodyglove to be worn underneath it, due to its more advanced construction.

Once they had left the room, Sarah closed the gate, looking at the last three suits one last time before she did so, and wondering.

* * *

The Brotherhood and the Enclave weren't the only ones in the Capital Wasteland who made use of power armor. The Outcasts, led by Protector Casdin, he who had originally led them away from Lyons, were dedicated solely to the pursuit of their original mission: the acquisition of technology, no matter the cause. Deep within the ruin that was Fort Independence, the red-and-black armored Outcasts gathered their tech and unceasingly plotted on how to acquire more.

Casdin watched as Outcast defenders, two squads of them, quickly rushed under the overpass and into the courtyard of their headquarters. They carried crates, silver ones, and two of them carried a dead body on a stretcher.

Proceeding downstairs, to the main research area underground, Casdin watched as the dead body of the Enclave soldier was put onto a table and the supply crates were placed nearby. Immediately, the specialists, the Outcast scribes, went to work.

Defender Morgan walked up to Casdin as he looked down at the scribes working. "The Enclave have just as much technology as previously thought," she informed her leader. "This group was driven off, three got away, a field officer and two soldiers, one of them wearing power armor unlike any I've ever seen, much more advanced than the model the dead soldier down there is wearing."

"Weapons?" Casdin asked.

"Plasma and laser-based, mostly. The crates have plasma grenades and mines, and, something else, sir."

Casdin looked at her with inquisitive eyes. "Meaning?"

Morgan cleared her throat. "Defenders Rockfowl and Nitro led the sentry bots which scattered the soldiers. The officer, he used one of _"those"_ weapons." Her eyes narrowed as he looked at her in surprise.

"Are you certain?" he asked with rising demand in his voice. "Are you absolutely certain?"

She reached into a pouch on her belt and produced a small cylinder, which glowed with a definable, distinctive blue color. "This came from one of the crates, amongst others of its kind. Xenotech," Morgan whispered. "They have it. I saw a blaster."

Casdin straightened and seemed visibly unnerved by this latest development. "Then it's even worse than we thought, and the Enclave _must_ be stopped at all costs."

* * *

Southwest of Canterbury Commons, hidden amongst large rock formations was the base of operations for the group known only as the Regulators. Their headquarters was constructed of reinforced scrap metal and wood, meant to resemble a farmhouse, built around an old fallout shelter that served as their armory, barracks, training ground and radio communications center. Each Regulator was a protector of the wasteland, a keeper of the peace, and they all pledged their loyalty to one woman: Sonora Cruz.

Sonora was dedicated to preservation of innocent life in the Capital Wasteland, and as a result, very worried about the recent happenings with the resurgence of the Enclave. Her good friend and fellow member of the Regulators, Lucas Simms, was trapped in Megaton along with all of his people for refusing to bend to the will of the invaders. The Regulators were currently in the midst of devising a plan to liberate the town, having long ago deemed it worthy of protection and the Enclave worthy of battling.

How they were going to do so was a daunting and depressing task, leaving many of the Regulators under her command to question the intelligence behind attempting such a suicidal task. The Regulators wielded only firearms and their will for justice, but those didn't get past power armor, nor did they protect from laser and plasma weaponry.

Sonora sat alone in her room, her only company being a half-empty bottle of whiskey and a scoped pistol. Uncertainty wracked her, as she didn't know how they were going to fight the Enclave, but she knew that they were going to try. She took out a small locket from her duster's right side, and held the small golden necklace up to the lantern light. Watching the light play across its surface, she was reminded of why she did what she chose to do.

'Not for money, not for glory, not for inner peace... but for the future,' she thought, repeating the words she had learned so long ago from the most important person in her life.

She sighed, trying to find solace in the words and went back to work on the whiskey.

* * *

Long into the night in the town of Megaton, people were finding it hard to rest, even in their homes. A fight had broken out earlier that day, with Lucas having to break it up. Now, things were getting even worse, with more people succumbing to paranoia and panic. Word was that Moira Brown had closed her shop, though few would risk trying to steal from her with her ever-watchful bodyguard around. Rumor had it the man never slept.

In another part of the town, inside a simple home, Billy Creel carried an unconscious Maggie to bed, tucking her in as softly as he could manage. He turned the lantern off, before leaning over and planting a tender, fatherly kiss on her forehead. He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Billy sighed, before heading towards a nearby table and sitting in front of it. He took out his magnum, emptying its bullets in order to clean it. Once he had reloaded it, he sighted it with his one good eye, ensuring that he could still aim with it. He placed the gun on the table. In an adjacent room, his safe was open, devoid of caps. No money for food, or water.

He sat there, in the dark of the night, the room only lit by another electric lantern, thinking. He felt hollow, alone, unable to secure the life he truly wanted for Maggie, the sweet little girl he only wanted to give the brightest of futures. He leaned over the table, his face buried in his hands. He didn't know what to make of this Enclave threat, but Lucas was being absolutely firm in his judgment about not bending to their will.

He looked up at the ceiling, a small trail of tears falling from the eye not covered by the black patch he wore.

'Damn it all,' he thought. He felt like punching a wall, but that would wake up Maggie.

So instead, he simply sat.

* * *

Sarah stood with her father in a small room that overlooked the courtyard. They were watching the Wandering Pair train under Gunny's regiment. Currently, they were running around the interior of the round courtyard. In particular, they noticed that Lloyd was running faster.

"He runs a bit faster, jumps a bit higher, lifts more weight and adapts to new situations more quickly," Sarah explained. "I've trained a lot of men and women, father, been trained a lot myself. Something... is odd about that boy. He's developing quickly."

Owyn nodded. "I can see it. He'll make a fine soldier. He's smart, and charismatic to boot. The only other man I've ever met that was just like him was his father."

Sarah looked over at the Elder, her eyes questioning. "Father... how well did you know Dr. Freeman?"

"More than I would initially admit," Owyn replied. "I knew him out west, before we even came out here, back when I was only a Paladin. Though he was a Follower and I of the Brotherhood, we struck a decent friendship. He was young, idealistic, with great dreams for the world. Imagine my surprise when we found him here not long after we arrived, with his wife and his team, already hard at work on what would be Project Purity. To the best of my knowledge, they were the only eastern presence of the Followers of the Apocalypse."

"It's curious... we crossed so much distance from the west coast, only for that small connection from the past to resurface," Sarah said. "Strange that circumstances like that would result in Lloyd and Amata being here."

"Life is strange, sometimes, and often its greatest moments are all tied together in some fashion. It can't easily be studied, much less predicted, but one can see it as a series of interconnected events, which can be studied with through a lens of cause and effect, with interrelated happenings occurring everywhere, every day, influenced by past occurrences, leading up to the now. And even then, it can be as unpredictable as people themselves. And yet, sometimes it seems like a grand puppet master, an ultimate creator and guide, is the one stringing all these events together, manipulating our lives and creating ironies and coincidences, constantly bringing the past back to the present. Whether this puppet master exists, and whether he puts us through the challenges we face out of malice or the desire for us to overcome them and better ourselves, is not something that I alone can answer."

"How prophetic," Sarah said with a smile.

"Nothing more than the ramblings of an old man, Sarah," Owyn replied with a smile, patting his daughter on her armored shoulder. "Now, I'm certain our young friends and newest guests are looking forward to your next lesson."

The woman nodded and headed down the stairs and into the bailey. Today, she decided she would focus purely on energy weapons for the Wandering Pair, teaching them how to use and maintain all manner of laser-firing weaponry (pistols, rifles and gatling configurations) and plasma-based weapons (pistols, rifles, grenades and mines). As the Enclave primarily only used weapons of that nature, it was important for them to learn everything they could to make the most of such tools.

Owyn spent some more time watching them. It was true that he knew more about James than he would initially admit, even to his daughter, and even to the man's son. He knew James' past quite well, and knew the secrets that were best left behind.

* * *

"Mr. Burke, sir... You, you have a visitor," a man told the white suited Burke, who still sulked and paced atop Tenpenny Tower's uppermost walkway. Burke turned to the man, prepared to verbally assault the fellow, when he noticed the elderly-looking individual standing right behind him.

"Mister... Littlehorn, sir," Burke said as he straightened up. Daniel Littlehorn stepped around the man who had announced his presence. Behind him stood two assassins wearing black; his personal bodyguards, silent and armed with sniper rifles.

Allistair Tenpenny, who had been sitting not too far away from Burke, next to a bottle of brandy and a chessboard, smiled. "Ah! Mister Littlehorn, how nice to see you! How are you on this fine day?"

Burke may have been able to manipulate and fool Tenpenny, but Littlehorn was no fool. The cold, calculating mastermind of Littlehorn & Associates had little time for games. He set his bespectacled eyes upon Burke.

"Burke... I've come to speak with you and you alone," he said.

Burke's eyes narrowed. "No? You've not come for a drink with Tenpenny?"

"Not on this day, no. I've come to tell you to pull back the Talon Company hit squads out searching for the Wandering Pair."

Burke faced the man fully, fury and surprise painting his face. "What? Why? I will do no such thing!"

Littlehorn did not back down, nor move an inch. "Mr. Burke, there are, as of the past few days, much larger concerns for this wasteland than two youths, as troublesome as they may be. Quite simply, it's been long enough, with no results, and more profitable ventures lie elsewhere. I've already heard reports that they were killed by the organization that necessitated this visit, the Enclave."

Burke paused before replying, "And just what about the Enclave?"

"They are planning something for the wasteland, Burke. Only a fool would fail to see that. You haven't failed to see that, have you? Certainly your quest for vengeance has not blinded you to the keen intellect that allowed you to reach your position, hasn't it?"

Burke felt like spitting, but didn't. He turned back out to the view of the endless wastes. "No, Mr. Littlehorn... it hasn't."

"Then you'll understand that we must pull back Talon Company, and prepare for whatever may come. We still don't know if this Enclave can be allied with. If so, excellent. If not... we'll need the full force of the military we've assembled. Do you understand?"

Burke gave no reply. Littlehorn's brow furrowed. "Don't forget what you owe to me, Seth." His voice was low and laced with poisonous implication.

Burke nodded, not saying a word, almost twitching at the mention of his name.

"Then make sure it is done," Littlehorn said, breaking the silence. "The wastes are too dangerous to travel, currently. I'll be staying here in Tenpenny Tower until I have secured proper transit back to my corporate offices. Surely a businessman of your stature will understand my need for accommodations."

"It'll be done," Burke said, masking his growing contempt with this newest development as best he could, though Daniel did not know if he meant the retreating of Talon Company's hit squads or agreeing to his requests for a room. He decided to take it as an affirmation for both orders. Littlehorn turned to go inside, leaving Burke and Tenpenny behind.

The elderly fellow for who the tower was named looked over at Burke. "I do say, Mister Burke, you look as though you could murder a man."

Burke sighed. 'God willing, Tenpenny. God willing.'

* * *

Jabsco turned to his subordinate, the man who had just delivered the transmitted message from Tenpenny Tower and Burke. "What?"

"That's the order, sir," the Talon merc replied. "We're to pull back from the wastes and await further orders."

Jabsco turned his scarred face back to the window he had been staring out of. "What in the hell are they thinking on top of that damn tower..."

"Perhaps this has something to do with those weird flying cars we've been seeing, sir," the merc replied.

"They're not cars, you idiot," Jabsco said, turning back around. "Cars only drive on the ground. Just... just shut up and get out of my sight."

The merc left the room, leaving Jabsco alone. "Damnit... things keep getting complicated. First those fuckin' kids vanish... now this."

He looked at his hands, noticing a twitching motion in them that he couldn't control. He reached for a nearby dose of Psycho, which he injected into his arm without a second thought. Wrathful serenity flooded through him as the drug took effect. He took out his beloved knife, Occam's Razor, and was compelled to run his tongue along the length of the blade.

He turned quickly and threw it, masterfully impaling it on a crosshair painted onto a nearby wall. He smiled at his success, before reaching up with his freed hand and feeling the scar on his face, scratching it hard enough to draw blood, though through the haze of the drug, he didn't care.

In fact, he loved it.

* * *

In the lower levels of Tenpenny Tower, people socialized and shopped. They wore nice clothing and held themselves in higher regard than most who lived in the wasteland. Haughty arrogance tended to be a defining trait of many of its citizens, save for a few.

One of them was a man who now sat at the bar, downing drink upon drink, leaving close to a pile of empty bottles behind. The robotic bartender, a reprogrammed protectron named Shakes, knew not the restraint that a human bartender would know, and so, simply continued to supply the man with a new drink every time he paid.

Another fellow, who was well-dressed in a sleeveless sweater and white undershirt, walked up and sat down next to him. His skin was worn and tanned, betraying years of living life in the wastes. The young man, drunk to no end, didn't pay him much mind.

"Pardon me, sonny," the older fellow said, "but I couldn't help but notice that all you do is drink. I've been around a bit in my day, and I can recognize a guilty soul when I lay my eyes on one. You kill someone, son?"

The younger man shook his head, not looking at his new conversational partner. "No... but I'm gonna." He took another sip of beer after saying his slurred words, not caring that he was admitting his intent to commit murder.

"Well... I can't recommend it," the elderly fellow replied, paying Shakes for a small cup of vodka. "I've done it before. Never quite sit well with me."

"When a man...'s wronged you... ye're 'sposed to kill'em..."

"If you ask me, that depends on the nature of the wronging. What'd this man do to you, exactly?"

"Killed... well, not per...pershonalleee, but he killed my brother..."

"Not personally? Was it really his fault?"

"Yesh... yesh, I mean, I know it was, he died because... because of him. I know it... s'why I came 'ere... to kill'em..."

"Well, you're certainly in no state to kill a man, I must say. Listen, name's Herbert Dashwood. Yourself?"

The young man looked up at the elderly fellow. "An... Andry... Angry... Andy! Andy... Stahl..." he slurred.

Herbert smiled, patting the man on the shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Andy."

* * *

Along one of the upper walkways of Megaton, not too far from Gobtholemew's saloon, the three resident children of Megaton sat, their legs dangling over the edge and their hands wrapped around the railing. Harden Simms, aged ten, Maggie Creel, aged nine, and Bryan Wilks, aged eight.

The children had been silent for the past ten minutes or so. They weren't in much of a mood to play, since the tension within the town was so palpable, which didn't leave them in the brightest of spirits.

"What do you guys wanna be when you grow up?" Maggie suddenly posed a question to her friends. They looked at her, and she looked at Harden first. "Well?"

"I'll be like my dad," Harden said in his low voice. "I'll protect this town like he does."

"I wanna travel," Maggie said, swinging her legs back and forth. "I don't remember much besides Megaton. I wanna see more, you know? Billy talks about all sorts of places, and I wanna see them."

"I wanna be like the Wandering Pair," Bryan said, making both of them look at him. "Yeah! I wanna go around and save people, like they did with me!"

"We could travel," Maggie said. "The three of us! We could be like the... the... Wandering Trio or something!"

"I don't really wanna leave Megaton..." Harden said. "It's dangerous out there."

"But how will you know what to protect the town from if you never leave it and see it for yourself?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah!" Bryan agreed.

Harden was quiet. "Well... you know... I'll just shoot any monster or bad guy that comes into the town. That's easy."

"That's boring, staying in one place all your life," Maggie said. She looked over at Bryan. "You're not going to do that, right?"

"Heck no!" Bryan said, smiling. "I'm gonna kill one of every kind of monster out there and drive off bands of raiders and all kinds of stuff!"

Maggie giggled. "You'll probably die all by yourself," she said.

"Then I'll find friends, like Lloyd and Amata. I mean... they're not alone. Not really. I'll make friends and we'll take on the whole world!"

"Good luck," Harden said. "Considering they're dead and stuff."

"They are not!" Bryan protested. "They're not dead. I know it, because they wouldn't let those stupid Enclave jerks kill them. They'd kill them instead, which is what happened."

Harden didn't reply, and neither did Maggie. Once more, all of them were silent.

Not too far away, in front of the saloon, Billy stood, leaning against the metal wall. He sighed, before heading inside. His purpose was dark. He meant to rob this place, his favorite drinking den, because he was out of caps. He put his hand on the gun at his side. God and Lucile looked at him. "You okay, Billy?" the ghoul asked.

"I... I ain't got no caps, folk," Billy said.

The two patrons looked at each other. Gob fixed a friendly face on Billy. "Hell, Billy, you've always been a good customer around here. Never hit me or nothin' like that. Come on in... it's on the house."

He looked up, surprised, before slowly taking his hand off the gun. He approached his usual seat to order a drink. He downed it in somber silence, regretting heavily what he had almost done. He was being driven to the point of desperation, and he thanked god that Gob had been kind to him. If the ghoul hadn't... he didn't want to think about what might have happened.

As he sat, leaning over the bar and lost in his thoughts, a woman approached and sat next to him. "Hi," she said, getting his attention.

He looked over at her. A waster with brown hair and a pretty face. "I'm Karen Schenzy," she introduced herself. "And you?"

Billy smiled faintly. "Howdy there, miss... name's Billy, Billy Creel. Care for a drink?"

* * *

The Enclave soldier fell down, knocked to his back, and struggled to get back up. Butch planted a solid foot on the man's chest, holding him down. The youth smiled, and punched his two power fists together, creating a small display of sparks as the pistons collided. He had removed his Pip-Boy for the exercise. "Don't get back up," Butch warned. He felt as though he were standing atop a mountain, commanding it to obey his words.

The man grabbed Butch's leg and tried to twist it, but the former Tunnel Snake escaped by rolling to the side, quickly getting back up on his feet. The soldier did as well, and once more they squared off. The drugs in Butch's system were keeping him constantly on edge, constantly alert and ready to act, raising his senses and fueling his thirst for violence.

"Come on," Butch said, waving the soldier over, taunting him. "I'm gonna tear your armor apart like a tin fucking can... get to the meat inside… So come on already!"

The soldier was also equipped with two power fists, ones built into the framework of his armor. He charged at Butch, his metal boots making loud rings as he stomped into the floor. Butch once more rolled aside but then quickly dived at the man, catching his side and slamming one fist into the back of his kneecap, forcing him onto one leg. Butch stood up and brought his other fist down onto the back of the man's head with a truly concussive sound, denting the helmet and knocking the soldier out.

Butch continued to punch the back of the suit, taking great delight in doing so, before he heard a noise, an alarm of sorts that indicated that the test was over. A door on the nearby wall opened, which he knew he was instructed to go through. He stepped inside, and the door slid shut behind him.

The room was large, circular and constructed of the same dark metal that made up the rest of the Enclave's hidden underground fortress. There were many doors along the round walls, and four of them opened, revealing creatures, each trapped in some kind of stasis field.

All four containment fields deactivated at once, releasing their inhabitants and bringing them into consciousness. A mutated animal, larger than a man, with patches of hair, white eyes and dangerous-looking claws at the ends of its paws was the first to rise. The yao guai's mouth began to drool as it set its sights on Butch. It too had drugs in its system, making it vastly more dangerous than one of its kind encountered in the wild.

A man, or at least, what must have once been a man, rose from another cell. His skin was green and glowing, allowing Butch to see the outline of the man's bones buried in its translucent flesh. With blank eyes, withered and dry-looking skin, the ghoulish glowing one let loose a terrible, hollow roar as the aura around it seemed to glow with an even brighter hue. The rads it constantly emitted made it a dangerous foe to even get near.

The other two were bipeds, but widely different in nature. The first was a man, or once was a man. Reaching a height of perhaps eight or nine feet tall, but hunched over, with ridiculous muscles and green skin, the super mutant roared as it stood. Though Butch did not know the differences between various Capital Wasteland super mutants depending on their age, this one was an overlord, a step just below behemoth. The overlord didn't even seem to have a neck, the muscles of his torso and shoulder seemed to extend upwards, encompassing the bottom of his head. Its yellow teeth were bared, its lips shriveled and useless. It fixed dull white eyes on the youth.

The other creature was a mirelurk, but a very specific breed of them. The waters of the world, so heavily irradiated, had spawned a multitude of horrors that varied from region to region. In the Capital Wasteland, mirelurks were prominent, usually born from crabs. But occasionally, a clutch would welcome a mutant that had descended from a completely different water-dwelling animal: turtles. These mirelurk "kings" as they were known were humanoid in nature, with legs, arms and heads that resembled humans just enough for the very clear differences between man and mutant turtle to be extremely unsettling.

Though they resembled men, their scales were a dull grey color, and its arms, legs and back were covered in spines and fins. The fingers and toes were webbed, allowing it a wide range of mobility beneath the water. Its skin was slimy and its yellow eyes were fixed solely on Butch. Its lips curled away from its teeth as it released a high-pitched howl.

The four mutations all advanced upon him. From a nearby wall, Eden watched through one of his mechanical eye-cameras.

He was not displeased by the results, and Butch left the room when the fight was over, a combination of green goo, super mutant blood, bits of turtle shell and yao guai hair decorating his power fists.

* * *

Lloyd smiled as he held out his hand to Sarah, which she gladly took, using his strength to pull herself up. She dusted herself off, and congratulated him on successfully throwing her to the ground with a difficult combat maneuver. He shrugged, simply replying, "Well, I had a good teacher."

Amata walked up and similarly congratulated Lloyd on a job well done, hugging him as she did so. Cross approached, standing a few feet away, her hands resting on her super sledge, the head of which was on the ground.

"Very good, Lloyd. And you too, Amata. You two have learned very fast," Sarah said, shooting a glance over to Cross, who agreed with her assessment. "Guns, big and small, energy weapons, explosives, unarmed and melee combat, you've picked up on all of these things well. The wasteland has been kind to you in this, teaching you the basics of survival and combat. But, there is one thing unique to the Brotherhood, and to the Enclave, and it represents the key to our victory, for it is the only thing that evens the field of combat with our foes."

"Power armor," Amata said, looking around and seeing a few knights and paladins with sets of it. The initiates who trained around them wore none, instead wearing the recon armor that they themselves were currently wearing.

Paladin Gunny approached. He seemed annoyed, but then again, he always seemed like that. "Alright. So we're going to teach you how to wear power armor. I might not like it, but those with more power than I," he said, looking at Lyons and Cross, "have deemed it necessary. So let's get it over with."

Cross stepped forwards. "And afterwards, at the dusk, we will welcome you into the Brotherhood with a proper ceremony, where you will receive your holotags and power armor."

Lloyd and Amata shared an excited glance, each looking forward to completing the final steps of their training and entering the leagues of the Brotherhood of Steel.

* * *

The tunnels of Meresti run long and run deep. In the place that the group known only as the Family calls home, a troubled soul sat in the center of the large platform that overlooked all of Meresti Metro Station. Down below, his people, his Family, ate, conversed, traded and lived. Their leader, Vance, sat in silent reflection, his legs crossed and his hands placed upon his knees.

The man, wearing but a brown trench coat with dark clothing beneath, breathed easily, calmly, trying to find something within the reaches of his mind. Before him lay his weapon, a sword, the Vampire's Edge, its flawless steel form cleansed of blood, though it had tasted it many times, far more than he would immediately reveal. Most recently, it had been the cleansing purge for Blackwell and his deformed kin.

From a short distance away, near a burning barrel, his wife waited for him. Holly loved him with all her heart, but she knew the importance of his solitude. Vance was a strange, mysterious individual, whose eccentricities needed to be acted upon, else she feared he would lose touch with himself and his ways. He stirred, twitching slightly, as he took in a sharp inhalation of breath.

He called to her, softly, loud enough for her alone to hear. She ran to his side and knelt next to him. "What is it, my love?"

He looked at her with half-lidded eyes, as if he were not truly all there. His eyelids slid slowly shut, as his lips moved to form words. He spoke slowly, almost surreally, like he were in a trance. "We will be needed soon."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a battle forthcoming... a war... I have seen this. Our allies will be in danger, and they will require our aid. In this way, we will prove ourselves worthy to the outside world, and finally show the honor and true nature of our Family."

"What is this battle?" she asked and then added, "And how can we prove ourselves worthy to the outsiders?"

"It will come, soon... in the coming days. We must prepare ourselves, for when the warning comes... we will need to heed its call."

"What warning?"

"When the hour is darkest, when all hope seems lost, a message will come. A call to arms, a warning that inaction will allow a horrible evil to escape, to continue, to achieve victory when defeat is possible. And when this plea for help comes... the Family will answer it."

* * *

"Alright. Here's how it goes. Three per patrol squad, we maintain constant radio contact, report any sightings, and return to home base once all patrol checkpoints have been reached. Any team doesn't radio in, and the other will immediately fall to their position to provide backup or collect bodies. Situational assessment will be up to the individual squad. Regardless of what happens, we regroup back at HQ in approximately twenty-four hours from now." Reilly looked around at her fellow rangers, before looking down to the map. Two new lines had been drawn on it, one green and one white. They led to various points in the D.C. ruins. "Green Team will consist of myself, Donovan and Trigger. White Team will consist of Butcher, Miles and Brick."

She turned it over to Donovan, who explained the radio protocol. "Radio contact will be done once every two hours exactly, unless something strange is encountered. If the situation is hostile, radio only after you have escaped or dealt with all dangerous elements. A single warning beacon can be sent to each radio if the situation is code red, but only if it is code red."

Reilly leaned over the map. "Green Team will head south, to Rivet City, then move along the coastline, west then north, before entering the D.C. ruins proper with the intent to reach G.N.R. and establish contact with Three Dog and the Brotherhood. White Team, meanwhile, will head directly west, into the Maul, to Underworld. Once there, after establishing contact with the ghouls, White Team will cross the Potomac to investigate the western ruins, before returning at the appropriate time."

She looked up and asked, "Any questions?" None were asked. Reilly gave a single nod, and said, "Then move out!"

* * *

The deck of Rivet City, being that it was once an aircraft carrier, naturally had many pre-war planes on its hull. Some of them had been scrapped, either for parts or for the metal sheeting that comprised their hull, but others remained untouched since the war, unmoving and unable to fly. There was, however, much room on the deck of Rivet City, so much so that one part of it had a makeshift baseball field.

It was perfect, then, for the Enclave's vertibirds to land upon. Flying south, low and over the Potomac River, five vertibirds in an angular formation immediately slowed over Rivet City, descending onto its deck. The nearby control tower, staffed by Rivet City's security, saw this happen and an alarm was raised.

Rivet City security personnel evacuated everyone from the flight deck and began to seal shut all doors, locking them tight. Security Captain Lana Danvers looked on from the high windows of the control tower as Enclave soldiers and officers dismounted from the vertibirds, some of them carrying silver crates or other equipment. She watched as they began to set up a large base camp of sorts, with metal walls behind which they could take cover from enemy fire.

Nearby, one of the men sitting at the console pulled the bridge back from the platform, effectively sealing in the citizens of Rivet City, both from enemy entrance and escape. "Tell everyone to go to their rooms and await further instruction," Lana commanded a nearby security officer. "And Harkness is still on this tub somewhere. Get him up here, now."

Harkness and Lucy were in the marketplace when the news hit. Taking her with him, the android headed upstairs, past various civilians and officers attempting to keep the peace. Having the clearance he needed, both of them were able to ascend the stairs to the highest level of the control tower. Lana looked over at him as he arrived.

"Harkness, good. Glad you're still around. We've got a bit of a situation." She pointed outside, and the two of them quickly walked up and took a look for themselves. The android zoomed in, getting a much closer look as the Enclave set up their camp.

"That's problematic," he said, immediately recognizing the figures he had fought previously, the ones who had blasted his face off.

"You think? The Enclave aren't just hanging around the Jefferson Memorial anymore. They're expanding. I hear that they've got camps like this springing up all over. The wasteland, the D.C. ruins, you name it."

Harkness' eyes narrowed. "I can personally account that they are of hostile intent. They tried to attack us a few days ago, shot me." He looked at Lucy as he said it, and she nodded to confirm his words. They were true, just with a few omissions.

"What are we going to do?" Lucy asked, looking between Harkness and Captain Danvers.

"Not much we can do," Lana said. "We can't fight them without incurring heavy losses. Right now, they have the deck advantage. We have the interior of the ship. Both sides are weak on the enemy ground, so for now, as far as I can tell... it's a standstill."

"Perfect," Harkness muttered. He was analyzing the situation, going over various hypothetical attacks on either side, and none of them looked very prospective for the people of Rivet City. "We'll wait for them to make the next move," Harkness suggested. "They made the first move, and we retreated. If they think we'll do it again, they might get confident and make a mistake. We'll see how it turns out."

They resumed looking out the window.

* * *

Amongst the rocky ruins of a small building out in the stretches of the Capital Wasteland, Laszlo Radford turned off his radio. He had just received the orders from Commander Jabsco to return to base and wait.

He flicked aside a cigarette and picked up his trusty railway rifle, the weapon he had designed and built out of various spare parts. He once more looked at the note Burke had given him regarding the prize money for the heads of the Wandering Pair.

He laughed and tucked his radio away. "I don't think so," he muttered. "There's too much cash in it this time."

He left the ruins behind and resumed his hunt. He hadn't heard from his friendly rival Sam Warrick in some time, so he assumed him to be dead. "Guess you won't get your rifle, buddy," Laszlo said to the wind. "I'll be sure to put it on your grave."

* * *

The Enclave may have been setting up camp in Springvale, but they weren't interested in any of the buildings within it. Which suited Colin Moriarty just fine. The man was filthy, as he hadn't bathed in quite some time. His grey hair stuck to parts of his face and his beard was covered in filthy bits of food. His clothing was in similar disarray.

His eyes squinted as he looked between the boards of the house Silver had once lived in, before he forced her to "move." It was dark inside, so when the daylight hit his eyes, it took him a moment to adjust. He could see the soldiers in their power armor and the officers giving them orders.

A nearby table held some food and his gun. He didn't doubt that if he tried to escape, they would see him and chase him down. After all, their eyebots were still hovering around. Colin felt like he was going out of his mind. He had already used up all the alcohol and drugs in the house, and was rapidly succumbing to a state of supreme paranoia, convincing himself that the world was out to get him. They hadn't come into the house yet.

So far, he had managed to keep himself in check with promises of what he was going to do in the future, should he ever get his hands around that little bastard Lloyd's neck. He didn't care how long it would take, he would see it done. And that ungrateful bastard Gob, and that slut Nova, and that hoity-toity sheriff who let it all happen, Simms. They would all pay, every last one of them.

He would make sure of it.

* * *

Knight Sergeant Bael was the captain of the guard who watched the entrance to the Citadel. His duty was to ensure that nobody got in without approval. So naturally, Lloyd was confused as to why Bael had summoned him and him alone. Lloyd walked through the entryway doors that led out of the bailey, underneath the great iron gate that was currently raised, and approached Bael.

"You, uh, summoned me?" Lloyd asked. Bael, holding onto a minigun as usual, used it to point Lloyd towards the waterside.

"That guy wanted to talk to you, kid. And yeah, only you. He didn't ask for your girlfriend, in fact, he specified against it."

Lloyd followed Bael's gaze to a man standing down near the waterside. He wore a light brown trench coat and a brown fedora, and his back was to the Citadel. He was looking out over the water.

Lloyd thanked Bael and walked, cautiously, down to the beach. The figure looked... strangely familiar. "You wanted to see me?" Lloyd asked, trying to get the man's attention. "Well... here I am."

The man put a hand up to his face and brought away a cigarette, which he flicked into the water. He turned. The man was middle-aged, with a straight face and tanned skin. The coat was tied with a belt, and beneath it he wore a white shirt with a dark tie. His pants were brown. Lloyd didn't recognize him. "Hey, kid," he greeted. His voice had an accent unlike any Lloyd had ever heard before. "Nice to finally meet you, face-to-face, that is."

Lloyd's eyes narrowed a bit. Something was mysterious about this stranger, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Do I... know you?"

The man shook his head, his hat tilting down a bit. "Not quite, kid. But I know you."

"Care to clarify?"

The man looked up to the Citadel and its knights and then his gaze traveled northwards, as though he were intentionally avoiding eye contact with Lloyd. He still spoke, however. "Ever since you and that girl of yours left the vault... I've been following you. Well, ever since you fixed that little time ticker in Megaton and the town's plumbing, I mean. If you wanted to get specific about it. A bit mundane, the smaller details, you know."

"Explain yourself," Lloyd demanded.

"Relax. I consider myself a few different things. A guardian, a watcher, a messenger. A traveler, really. I do a lot of different things, but one of the things I pride myself on is my knack to be in the right place at the right time. Take that bounty hunter who had you and Amata cornered, once upon a time."

Lloyd's eyes widened with recognition and realization. "That was you... you're the one who killed him..."

The stranger nodded. "Nailed that one on the head, kid. But there are other things even you don't know about. One time, there was a sniper who would have killed you. No way around it, you would have died. I killed him. Flash to Evergreen Mills, you needed a distraction, otherwise the people outside would have killed you. I let that big'ol super mutant out of his cage. And there were other times, too, but I won't get into that. Well, maybe one; Three Dog needed a new radio dish uplink to spread his words to the masses, I was particularly proud of that one."

Lloyd listened to his words carefully before asking, "Why would you do these things for me? For us?"

The stranger looked into Lloyd's eyes with a sudden, fierce determination. "Because, kid, the world has a plan for all of us. A destiny. Some are led to ruin, and death. Others to salvation, and light. Some of us... people like me... we can see the path laid out before others. So we take it upon ourselves to selflessly defend these people, without thanks and without reward, until they reach a point where they can defend themselves, a point where they must take control of their own destiny, for good or for ill. We have to trust that they'll make the right choices, because if they come to rely on... our services... they fall into comfort, into a net of safety, one we can't have, because as much as people like me pride ourselves on our work, we can't be everywhere all of the time. When it comes time to end our guardianship, we always make a point to say goodbye, the one time of personal interaction we allow ourselves with those we protect. You, kid, you've reached that point. You're free from my service, I'm sorry to say. You've done damn well up until this point, don't doubt it. I expect great things from you, but I'm a patient man and willing to wait."

Lloyd was a little dumfounded. He looked at the man after thinking about all of his words. "You say you do this... this kind of thing without thanks, without reward... why?"

"We do these things because we must, because we are compelled to. Because sometimes, people deserve better, a higher standard that so few humans can reach. The world is broken, kid, and it needs people like you in order to heal. But I can't protect you forever. Like a bird trapped in its cage, you need to spread your wings and fly. As for thanks, and reward, well... you can do both of those things by taking advantage of the gift I gave you. Keep doing the things you intend to do, simply keep being the person you are, and that will be thanks enough. Your actions will have long-term consequences, some good, some bad. Seeing the good triumph over the bad... that's my reward."

Lloyd's eyes narrowed. "Then why didn't you save my father?"

The man cast his gaze down. "That's… not easy to answer. The short of it is, if I did, you wouldn't be here right now. With the Brotherhood, I mean. This, kid, this training you and your girl are receiving, the path you're on right now, the fire burning in your heart that will allow you to triumph over everything in your way, that all wouldn't be happening if I interfered like that. I've seen the path laid out. I've seen the events that come. Fire from the mountaintops, lightning from the skies, surges from the seas. I'm sorry, Lloyd, but it wasn't my place to save him. Doing so would have wronged history.

Lloyd closed his eyes and shook his head. "I… I don't understand. I can't. Who are you, even?"

"No. We don't do names. As far as you're concerned, I'm just a stranger. It must be kept that way. Don't ask why, kid, just accept it. There are questions in this world that have no answers."

Lloyd was at a loss for words. "Well... then what do I even say to you?"

"You don't need to say a thing, kid. Just take my words to heart. I've got to get going; there are appointments to be kept, places to go."

"Where's that?"

"Couple'a different places. Montana, for one, but that's not important. You stay here, and fulfill your destiny." Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a .44 revolver, forged of shining metal and a wooden handle. He turned it over in his hands and held it out to Lloyd, pointing its handle at him. "Here. Take it. A gift, from me to you, the gun that saved your life without you knowing it."

Lloyd slowly reached out and took hold of the wooden handle. Though he had worked with revolvers before, this one felt different, unique. "Tell your girl that you came out here to accept the gift. Or, tell her the whole story. It's all up to you, kid." The man turned around, facing the water. "Oh... and one more thing. Never forget what your father taught you, Lloyd. Sometimes we have to give up the things we love the most in order to protect them. And remember... you can always put your gun down."

The man vanished on the spot, simply gone, invisible or something else Lloyd couldn't comprehend. He looked back to the Citadel, then to the spot where the man had been. He waved his hand in the air, but felt nothing.

All Lloyd could do was turn back to the Citadel, and think. He slid the revolver into his belt.

* * *

Butch picked up the plasma rifle from the table, inspecting the curious weapon. The nearby soldier was to train him on its use, as well as a variety of other implements of death on the metal surface. Pistols, rifles, grenades, heavy weapons... he would learn to use them all, one at a time.

He picked up a ripper from the table, turning it on as he held it up. "I like this one," he said, waving it around a bit, fantasizing its use on an enemy, be it a man or mutant.

"A ripper," the soldier told him. "Effective for tearing through armor and cutting through flesh and bone."

Butch deactivated it and set it back down. He picked up a small green device with bright neon-green tubes on it. Like before, the soldier informed him what it was. "A plasma grenade. Dangerous explosive capability with a chance to immediately liquefy flesh on contact."

He tossed it up a few times, not unlike one would with a baseball, feeling its weight and imagining the power behind it. He set it down, before his fixing his eyes on a large weapon. He ran his hands along its barrel.

"A gatling laser," the man behind him said. "Powerful, accurate, deadly. One of the strongest weapons ever made."

The teen smiled, saying, "Damn nice toys..." He turned to the soldier. "When are we gonna get started?"

"Right now. And once you've mastered them, I'm to send you to the forge. Eden has prepared a little surprise for you."

"Excellent," Butch said, turning back to the table. He picked up the plasma rifle. "This one first."

* * *

The Great Hall of the Citadel was once more filled with some of the chapter's most important individuals. Elder Lyons, Head Scribe Rothchild, the Lyons' Pride, along other scribes and notable members, including the Wandering Pair.

"The Enclave have been very aggressive in the past few days," Paladin Tristan began. "They have set up camp in various easy-to-move sites around the wasteland, as well as just outside Rivet City, Megaton and Canterbury Commons. I've gotten reports from advance scouts that there is a significant presence in the eastern ruins, just north of us, though I know not what their interest in the area is."

Sarah added, "They have expanded the number of forcefields in place near Project Purity. A number of them have been placed on the bridge leading across the Potomac. I can only assume they mean to keep us out, as we are the only sizeable force near that bridge."

"They've also landed atop Rivet City," Tristan pointed out. "Effectively cutting off the people from attacking them should the event arise. Rivet City is the only settlement with a large security force."

Rothchild interrupted, saying, "Megaton is surrounded by Enclave. Our first order of business should be its liberation."

Elder Lyons nodded, but replied, "Yes, but are we certain we are prepared enough to fight them yet? I still have doubts that the Brotherhood should be so bold as to directly attack the Enclave until they do the same to us. We still have time to wait."

Sarah shook her head. "I must protest that course of action, Elder. Reports indicate that Megaton is close to anarchy and chaos, and the sheriff can't keep the peace forever. The town has no farmers or plants within its walls; it only survives because of the trade caravans. We must open the way for those caravans to get in, or else those people will die."

Lloyd and Amata shared worried looks. They had friends in Megaton, and didn't want to see what Sarah spoke of happen for real.

Sarah continued, "Let the Pride go in. We can fight them. We're ready."

"We'll go with them," Lloyd volunteered. All in the room looked at them. "We've got friends in Megaton, people we don't want to see die. We'll help fight of the Enclave there."

Elder Lyons was silent. "Lloyd, Amata, you have had my blessing from the start to pursue the path you choose. Are you certain you wish to do this?"

Amata spoke for the both of them. "We are."

Elder Lyons nodded. "So be it. The Pride and the Wandering Pair shall fight, side-by-side, to free Megaton. What shall be done afterwards is to be determined." He looked to Star Paladin Cross. "Star Paladin, as my seneschal, you are free to follow your own path as well. Shall you continue to accompany them on this quest?"

Cross looked at the two initiates and said, "Should they wish it, I shall."

They both nodded, welcoming the assistance of the experienced warrior. Elder Lyons proclaimed, "Then it is so. You are free to make all preparations for your journey to Megaton. My daughter shall be your force commander, and I should trust that you will follow her orders and judgment." Lloyd and Amata swore that they would, and with that, the meeting adjourned.

Rothchild approached Lloyd and Amata as the others began to file out. "Lloyd, I've had a bright scribe working on the terminal for some time now, but only minimal progress has been made. I shall continue to have him work on it. I thought you would appreciate an update on it, is all."

"I do, Rothchild. Thank you." The Head Scribe gave a single nod and left the room. Cross approached the duo.

She told them, "Elder Lyons will see you now. The ceremony will not take much time, and afterwards you will receive your armor. Follow me."

* * *

"Things are going perfectly according to plan, Mr. President," Autumn told the man. "Our scientists have assumed complete control of the facility, yet the fool James continues to mock us from beyond the grave. He has installed some kind of passcode system that will not activate the purifier until we get it correct. Each wrong answer causes another malfunction, usually killing a man."

Eden did not seem pleased. "And what of the G.E.C.K.?"

"We still do not know where we would find one, Mr. President. The only vault in the area that was issued a G.E.C.K. was Vault 87, but the entrance to the vault is highly irradiated, to absolutely lethal levels. That and the area is positively swarming with those wretched super mutants, confounding things even further."

"Suggestions then, Colonel? Initial field reports indicate that the outreach program is not going too well."

"We must bide our time, Mr. President. A solution shall be found, I assure you."

"Perhaps the answer lies once more with the two who escaped, the child of James."

"I doubt very much that they will turn out to be the answer to all of our problems once more, Mr. President."

"Don't be so quick to judge, Colonel. Remember what happened the last time you underestimated a Freeman. I'm certain your regular injections are proving a rather helpful reminder."

Autumn's brow furrowed. "Yes, Mr. President," he said, gritting his teeth. These mandatory interactions with Eden were getting to be a frustrating thorn in his side. "Autumn out. I will report back soon." He turned off the communicator, before feeling a pain inside his body. He took out a syringe and injected himself very quickly, feeling the pain subside as the medication worked its way through his system.

Indeed, they served as a constant reminder. He got his breathing back under control and reported back to the men under his command. He made his way through the halls of Raven Rock, passing scientists and soldiers as he reached his destination: the medical wing. Entering, he descended to its lowest levels, passing through two security checkpoints, with security officers quickly moving to their stations to allow him access to a very secret room.

Inside this room, bathed in yellow light, was a large tube. This tube was filled with water and various nutrient-based chemicals. Computers and machines whirred nearby, monitoring the status of the subject suspended within. Scientists and top-tier doctors bustled about, postulating on theories and comparing data.

Autumn swallowed bitterly as he looked up at the tube and the person suspended within, unconscious, unmoving and covered in ghoulish sores. A single plastic mask was affixed over his face, pumping oxygen in and out of his lungs. Small wires ran into his arms and legs. A scientist approached Autumn.

"Colonel, I'm afraid that we haven't had much progress beyond stabilizing the subject. We've been unable to improve his condition."

Autumn nodded. "And have we ascertained the reason for his continued living?"

"It's as I thought, sir," the man said, adjusting his glasses with a small degree of pride. "His current condition is due to the exact same pre-existing mutation that is present in Subject DeLoria. No other subjects from Vault 101 have exhibited this mutation. The only two vault dwellers we haven't been able to examine are—"

"Lloyd Freeman and Amata Almodovar," Autumn finished the man's sentence for him. The scientist nodded and moved back as Autumn approached the tube containing the comatose and unresponsive James Freeman, the man who should be dead, but was not. 'What secrets are you hiding, Freeman? And do they have the same gift that you undoubtedly gave to DeLoria? I will find out, James. I swear it.'

* * *

Elder Lyons began to speak. Sarah and Cross flanked either side of him, with Scribe Jameson behind him, ready to edit a book of some kind, and Lloyd and Amata stood in front of him.

"Lloyd Freeman... Amata Almodovar... you have been chosen to join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel. No longer are you initiates. Now, you are Knights. As Knights of this Brotherhood, there are values to uphold. Selflessness... compassion... honor... mercy... truth... redemption... courage... strength... wisdom... intelligence. These are but a few examples of what a member of the Brotherhood, no matter what rank, is guided by. These principals are self-evident, and under no circumstance shall you break your oath to the Brotherhood. As a Knight, you represent a higher standard, you are a role model, a warrior clad in armor, a protector of the innocent, a savior of human life."

He turned to Jameson, who nodded. The Elder looked back to the two. "Do you two swear upon your honor to uphold the ideals of the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"I swear," they both said in unison.

"Then, it is with great honor that I command your names to be added to the Great Codex, the record of our chapter, forever signifying your membership." He signaled to Rothchild, who proceeded to enter their names, first Amata's, then Lloyd's, marking the date of their entry into the chapter. Cross and Sarah approached them, baring their holotags, two metal dogtags with a bright, blue glowing center. Both of them knelt their heads forward slightly, enough for the sentinel and star paladin to place the chains around their necks.

Lyons explained to them that they would have to stop by the medical area and allow Sawbones to give them a physical, the data of which would be printed on one of the holotags, along with their names. "But first," he said, indicating for them to follow him, "your armor."

He led them down to the forge, where Scribe Bowditch had their T-45d armor waiting. In a few moments, Lloyd and Amata had, at long last, stepped into the suits they had heard so much about, had seen so often, yet had never known the experience of wearing.

They felt the recon armor tighten around them as it linked to the plates of steel and the systems of the suit coming online, making it match their movements perfectly. They felt stronger, more powerful, and protected within their steel shells. The power armor was unlike any other suit of armor they had ever worn—it was heavier, obviously, but it seemed to almost carry itself. It limited their agility, but their strength and perception seemed heightened. Their armor was exactly alike the other suits, save for one distinct difference: their left gauntlet was absent, leaving room for their Pip-Boy 3000's.

Bowditch explained to them, "The T-45d model power armor was the first successful model of powered infantry armor to be deployed by the United States during the war with China. Though less advanced than later models, we have made many modifications to the T-45d model that make it much more bearable and easier to use. Though your mobility will suffer, more noticeably at first, you will adjust and come to master the use of your armor, both in and out of combat."

Lloyd and Amata stretched their arms and legs, testing the limits of their new protective shells. They breathed the air through the filter, and tried talking through the respirators, listening to each other's filtered voices. They turned the lights of the helmet on and off, and tried the built-in radio. Once complete, they removed the helmets and looked at each other, a sense of accomplishment held in their eyes.

Elder Lyons approached and stood next to them, placing both of his hands on their armor's shoulder plates. "Welcome to the Brotherhood, children of Steel."

* * *

"The Brotherhood of Steel. They claim to be descended from the U.S. military, purporting traditions of honor, strength and valor, but this is a lie. They came here to acquire technology, but their leader, Lyons, faltered and grew attached to the local population. This created the Outcasts, the Brotherhood's greatest mistake and loss. The Outcasts stand in direct defiance of those who remain loyal to Lyons, and continue their original mission."

Butch wore a dark bodysuit which covered his entire body, save for his head and his left arm, leaving room for his Pip-Boy. The suit was intricately designed, meant to link its wearer to his power armor, physically and mentally. He stepped into a pair of metal boots, constructed of thick, worn steel. The boots reached up to his knees, and locked into place around his feet and lower legs. Two mechanical arms placed shards of armor around his thighs and upper legs, which closed around him and similarly sealed, connecting to his boots. Armored kneecaps were put into place, which spun and connected to the leg armor.

"They represent the truth of the Brotherhood of Steel, the secretive, thieving and arrogant collection of people who believe themselves to be the strongest, most advanced group in the post-war world. That is why we intimidate them, Mr. Deloria; that is why they fear us. Lyons' loyal chapter, undoubtedly, feels the same way. But whereas the Outcasts abhor the citizens of the Capital Wasteland, the Brotherhood they left behind seeks to protect them."

A cuirass of steel was lowered around him, which was split in half. The two halves of it stopped in front of and behind him, before the arms which carried them moved them together, fitting around him. His waist, chest, stomach, back, crotch, shoulders and neck were all sealed within the power armor as it closed. Butch took a deep breath, the plates of the armor moving with his chest as it raised and fell in tune with his breathing.

"Fools saving fools, Mr. DeLoria. The people of this land are not worthy of protection, nor survival. Raiders, slavers, tribals... these people are not worthy of living under the flag of the United States of America. Only the Enclave, pure, strong, untouched by the hells of the wastes, are worthy to rise up and reclaim what was once ours. For we are truly the descendants of the American government, the greatest collection of minds the world has ever known. It is because of our fierce determination and refusal to surrender that we have survived."

He held out his arms, allowing the sections of the steel plating to be put into place just beneath his shoulders and right elbow. His left arm would be left bare at the elbow, again to accommodate for the Pip-Boy. The special gauntlet for his right hand, a power fist designed specifically for him, slid into place then as the robotic arm ensured that each of his fingers were in proper place before disengaging from the power fist. Various adjustments were made all around him by the arms as they added extra pieces of armor, which snapped into place. Each piece became a part of him, and he felt each one of them.

"And the citizens of this great future nation we seek to build, well, you represent them, Mr. DeLoria. You represent that even the lowest of status can rise to a prominent position of power within the Enclave. You have been trained, and conditioned, and we are prepared to reward you greatly for your services. Your name will be legendary, Mr. DeLoria, your actions shall bring about a new age. And all you must do are a few simple tasks."

Two final parts of the armor remained. The helmet, with yellow eyes, a filter and two horn-like curves to its top, was lowered in front of him. He reached out and took it, slowly sliding it over his head, locking it into place. Two tubes needed to be connected to the bottom of the helmet, which he quickly did. The final parts of the armor, the pauldrons, were put placed upon his shoulders, locking into place with the torso set. The pauldrons contained purple tubes of electric energy, resembling Tesla coils. Once these capacitors connected to the rest of the armor, they activated, blazing to life and charging the outside of the suit with an electric field.

The armor was now completely assembled, and fully activated. He felt stronger, faster and more powerful than ever before. The yellow eyes of the helmet buzzed to brightness, and he saw the world through new lenses. He looked up at Eden.

He breathed through his new helmet, and asked, "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

Two Enclave officers stood in a warehouse full of printed signs, posters and fliers. Most of them were of an Enclave soldier in power armor walking with children over green grass. Their logo, and their message to the people of the wastes, featured prominently on each image. They were propaganda for the people of the Capital Wasteland, carrying messages of peace, freedom, prosperity and protection under the reborn United States Government.

"So... where are we going to put all of these?" one officer asked.

The second scratched his head, taking off his cap. "Well… There's still a lot of old buildings that still stand with blank walls, right? And old billboards. What if we slap'em onto there?"

The first shrugged. "That's as good as any other place to put them, I guess. We're gonna need ladders, though. And a lot of glue. Actually, do we even have those?"

"I think… In a closet somewhere, maybe. Do you think we could have the eyebots do it?"

"No, no, the eyebots don't have arms. Maybe Whitley over at the Adams Air Force Base can add that to his new eyebots he's been working on." The other laughed as they went about their work, getting the propaganda ready.

* * *

In the northern reaches of the Capital Wasteland, past Old Olney, north of the Republic of Dave and east of Rockland, the Mysterious Stranger decloaked in the dead of night in a small clearing of dust and ash, where none could see. There were two things waiting for him in this clearing, a woman and his box. The woman was his assistant and only living company, and his box was their transportation. The box was tall, with small windows, a light on top and the words "Police Public Call Box" written at the top of its sides.

He approached them both, straightening his coat a little. He removed his fedora. "It's done," he said, taking out a key. As he did so, a small, broken bit of technology, a motion sensor, fell out of his pocket and onto the dusty ground, which neither of them noticed. The woman smiled coyly as she fixed catlike eyes upon him and leaned against the box.

"So," Miss Fortune, as was her name, began, "how much of what you told him was the truth?"

"More than enough of it," he replied, unlocking the outer door of the blue box, opening it up for her. He stood aside and offered her to go inside first.

"Why thank you, good sir," she said with a small laugh. "And where are we off to now, hmm?"

He cocked an eyebrow as he followed her into the blue box. "Our business here in the Capital Wasteland is over." He pulled out a small pocket watch, flipping it open. "We need to catch up to a courier in the Mojave Wasteland, four years from now. He's going to need our help in a big way. Ever been to Vegas? Marvelous town," he said, closing the door behind him.

A moment later, a distinct humming noise was heard throughout the area as the blue box slowly vanished from sight, leaving no trace of their being there, save for the broken motion sensor.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review of continue; preferably both.**


	21. Return to 101

Behind the great stone walls of the Citadel, within its hallowed halls, soldiers and scribes alike prepared. They readied arms, armor and machines as they organized into patrols, reconnaissance teams and information gathering cells. Among them, the Lyons' Pride, equipped with powerful and revered relics, suits of t-51b power armor, oversaw much of the operation. Star Paladin Cross prepared the ARM, her super sledge, as she joined the Pride in the courtyard. It was early, with only a little sunlight bleeding through the bleak, grey clouds above. The Pride was eager to move; they were to engage the Enclave today, and the Citadel was buzzing with the news as soldiers spoke about the upcoming campaign against the strange, reborn organization.

Cross and the Pride were waiting for two particular individuals and their canine companion. The Wandering Pair, clad in their newly-fitted t-45d power armor, emerged from the Citadel's main entrance. Their weapons were loaded and in working order, their packs full and their spirits more than motivated. Both had a large personal stake in the oncoming war against the Enclave and were eager to start taking their payback. Lloyd stood tall and proud in his armor, as did Amata, and between them was Russ, obediently following his masters. They approached the Pride, halted and respectfully stood at a position of attention.

Sarah, her armor marked with a distinctive crest signifying her command over the elite squad, welcomed them with a brief nod. Her voice reached their ears through the speakers in their helmets. "Lloyd, Amata. It's time to move."

"We're ready," Lloyd said, looking at Amata, who similarly nodded her agreement.

"Good. You know the situation. Megaton is going to bleed itself dry if we don't force the Enclave back, allowing the merchant caravans to circulate food through the town. We're going to hit them hard and fast, in two teams. You two are with me, Paladin Glade and Star Paladin Cross. We're the kill team. The suppression team is going to flush them out, into our fields of fire."

"Roger," they both replied.

"Once done, the Citadel will contact the caravans and tell them to move in. With nothing else, let's move out. Every second we waste is one that gives the enemy a chance to reinforce their position. They're currently held up in a makeshift camp in Springvale, just outside Megaton. Our initial assault will be from the south, and we'll sweep in from the east and finish them off." Sarah looked at her unit. "Pride! Move out!"

"With pride!" they echoed, following behind her. Lloyd, Amata and Cross quickly took up pace behind them, moving swiftly and surely, crunching small rocks beneath their armored feet. Knights, paladins and scribes watched them go, cheering the Pride on. From a window above, Elder Owyn Lyons watched as well, knowing that this was the beginning of a war with the Enclave. He wasn't cheering quite as hard, for that was his daughter going out there. He relented, knowing that Sarah was more than capable of handling herself. She had proven that when she traveled across the country to find him and join his cause. Her exemplary service to his chapter of the Brotherhood was more than enough to earn her control of the Lyons' Pride, formerly his own squad. He watched until the gate closed behind them.

"Good luck," he whispered, "and God help us all."

They charged out of the main gate and wasted no time in heading north along the Potomac River, which would take them into the region surrounding Megaton.

Lloyd was excited, even more than Amata. His hands clenched as he ran and he felt the blood pumping through his body. His heart raced.

It was time for the Enclave to pay.

* * *

Corporal Kolb sighed. He hated pulling perimeter patrol. He was a stone's throw from leading his own squad, and here he was, stuck out in the middle of the Capital Wasteland, waiting for a town full of filthy mudthrowers to wither out and surrender. This occupation wasn't giving him the action he had been hoping for. For the last three years of his life, he'd been preparing for action with his fellow Enclave soldiers. Training, drill, dogma—all of it had led up to the invasion of the Capital Wasteland. He'd heard reports of giant scorpions, green men and had even had the opportunity to see one of the deathclaws the Enclave had captured and brought to Raven Rock for rehabilitation experiments, but he hadn't seen so much as a single mutated rat since coming here.

From behind the yellow visors of his helmet, he scanned the horizon. The town, "Megaton" they had called it, stuck up like a sore thumb. Large, rusty plates of metal and old plane wings left out to bake in the sun made up its outer wall. He had explosives on him. He'd asked his sergeant if he could just blow a hole in the wall and start wasting the filthy tribals, but that wasn't in the plan, apparently. He just couldn't comprehend what Colonel Autumn, that damn stiff-necked pencil pusher with his fancy coat, saw in this town. How useful could a collection of wasters and scavengers honestly be?

His grip on his laser rifle was loose and relaxed as he made eye contact with Private Boyd. They gave a brief nod before resuming their circular patrol around their base camp, located at the crossroads in the center of a burnt-out old town. 'God, this is depressing,' he thought, looking out at the ruined countryside. Left to rot in the aftermath of a nuclear war that had taken place two-hundred years ago certainly didn't make it pretty to look at. He had been expecting constant action and glory, a campaign like the ones he had read about in the Enclave history books.

He should've known better than to get his hopes up. He looked over at a Nuka Cola machine that still buzzed with some electricity, lighting its neon sign. He laughed, thinking about how well those things were built to last. He bet that they were even still cold inside, maybe with drinks, too. He stole a quick glance to the center of the camp, looking at the pale lieutenant who was running the camp in Captain Welker's absence. He was buried in field reports and wasn't looking.

That was all Kolb needed. He quickly ran up to the machine, and reached for the handle, eager to see what was inside.

Instead, he got a bullet to the head. A single armor-piercing .308 round, fired from the sniper rifle of Knight Captain Dusk, flew straight through his head and hit the dirt, followed shortly by his corpse, leaking fresh red blood from the holes in his helmet onto the dusty earth below. By the time Private Boyd had noticed, he was hit with a spray of 5mm rounds from Paladin Vargas' minigun, shredding his armor. From atop their hill to the south, Vargas, Dusk, Colvin, Gallows and Kodiak all fired from their position of strategic advantage. Paladin Kodiak lifted up his missile launcher up onto his shoulder, aimed and fired, the screeching rocket soaring through the air and hitting nearly the dead center of the camp, killing the lieutenant in charge.

The Enclave soldiers quickly mobilized a defensive line, taking cover from the ambush and returning fire. Bullets, laser beams, plasma blasts and rockets were exchanged between the two lines. The Enclave, though they had lost two men already, were confident in their ability to win this firefight, due to what they assumed was superior numbers against the five on the hill. That is, until the other half of the ambushing force, an additional five plus a well-trained hound, attacked from the east. Paladin Glade, his legs enhanced by his t-51b power armor, leapt atop a burnt-out vehicle, hoisting his gatling laser before him.

An Enclave trooper, reloading his plasma rifle, looked up at the paladin as he pulled the trigger on his devastatingly effective and accurate laser weapon. Bright red surges of burning energy rapidly emerged from its barrel as he aimed it around the Enclave camp in wide, sweeping arcs, leaving a trail of scorch marks and melting through armor. Alongside him then was Sentinel Lyons, moving steadily and confidently as she fired her laser rifle, taking down two targets with controlled pairs of trigger pulls. Lloyd and Amata were on the other side of the vehicle; he armed with his modified laser rifle he had received from Harkness and her with an assault rifle. Next to Sarah was Star Paladin Cross with the ARM in hand.

As they moved forward, Paladin Glade stepped off the car and advanced with them in a line, still firing his gatling laser, targeting individuals now. Cross stepped over an Enclave soldier who had been hit by one of Colvin's sniper-laser blasts, but was still alive. A quick blow to his head from the ARM was all it took, despite the armor. The super sledge nearly cracked it in half as she brought it down upon his head. A soldier popped up near Amata from behind a steel barricade, preparing to shoot her in the back. He heard a growl and a bark and then was taken down by Russ, leaping upon him and knocking the weapon from his hands, allowing him to be quickly put down by Amata.

"Good boy!" she called out, to the reply of a bark.

Sarah's team swept through the camp from east to west, and then Vargas' team swept through it from south to north, inspecting each body and ensuring it was dead, sparing as little ammo as possible if they found a live one. This ambush tactic, long used by the Brotherhood, had been devastatingly effective in the past and against the Enclave had been no less than such. The two teams regrouped, breathing heavily as they calmed down from the excitement of the firefight.

Both Lloyd and Amata were elated. Their first even battle against the Enclave had been an overwhelming success. They shared a look, and even though they couldn't see each other's eyes, they both knew they held the same emotion. "Status," Sarah ordered, remaining professional.

"Yellow on ammo, green on supplies and zero casualties, Sentinel," Vargas reported. "Enemy decimated. Mission success."

She looked over at Knight Captain Dusk. "Call it in to HQ. We need new orders, now."

Nearby, Kodiak and Gallows were searching the Enclave corpses for useful equipment. As Dusk radioed back to the Citadel, Lloyd and Amata approached Sarah. "What about Megaton?" Lloyd asked.

"You two will be the welcoming committee," she instructed. "You're the ones with the most history with this town, anyway. The Pride doesn't really do praise, so we'll let you be in the spotlight." Her voice now took on a lighter tone. "Just remember to give credit where credit is due."

"Naturally," Lloyd said.

Russ growled a little. Amata knelt next to him and softly petted his head. "What's wrong, boy?" The canine's keen ears flattened and he faced to the northwest, barking. They looked in that direction.

From behind Megaton arose two vertibirds, humming loudly as they approached, low and close to the ground. Small panels on their undercarriages opened and gatling lasers emerged, firing upon their position. "Cover!" Sarah called out as the lasers sprayed the area, lighting fires and blasting concrete. The Pride and their three comrades dived for cover from the assault. The vertibirds took up opposite positions around the camp, circling it as they fired, leaving little cover available.

The Pride scrambled to return fire, erratic and caught off-guard. Kodiak fired a missile at a vertibird, but it missed as the vehicle lowered. Its door opened, and a man, an Enclave officer with blonde hair, hung out the door, holding himself with one hand and firing a plasma pistol with another. Captain Welker pelted the area around them with plasmic energy as the gatling lasers suppressed them even further.

Colvin and Dusk couldn't get set up for clean shots, nor could Vargas and Glade position their heavy weapons to return fire. Sarah took a well-aimed shot and hit Welker in the chest, knocking him back into the vertibird with a smoking mark on his jacket, a gift from the Brotherhood of Steel. The door closed behind him. Lloyd, Amata and Cross all attempted to return fire, but as soon as they stuck their heads out of cover, a gatling laser would swing their way, forcing them back down.

Lloyd knew they couldn't hold out forever like this. They needed some kind of plan, or intervention.

They received the latter.

From the southwest flew two rockets, each striking the vertibird accompanying Welker's and lighting up the sky with fire, smoke and debris. One hit its main hull, while another struck its left propeller, sending it circling through the air. It drifted off to the west, then the east, until finally dipping low and crashing into the dried-up riverbed outside Springvale. An explosion followed its crash, leaving it a smoking, burning wreck.

Welker's vertibird ducked down, turned and flew away, back in the direction it had originally come from. As the Pride tried to regroup, three Outcasts charged their position, grabbed two of the Enclave corpses by the shoulders of their power armor, and began to drag them away. Paladin Vargas was the first to notice. "Outcasts!" he called out, turning his minigun in their direction.

"Stop!" Sarah shouted at her second-in-command, holding up her hands. The rest of the Pride took up covered positions as the three Outcasts dragged the two corpses to their squad, also set up in covered positions and aiming back. Lloyd and Amata picked themselves up as they looked on. An entirely new kind of standoff had begun, with the Outcasts outnumbering them by only one.

One of the former members of the eastern Brotherhood chapter advanced, holding a heavy machine gun. She looked at Sarah, recognizing the crest on her armor. "Lyons," she said, her voice amplified by her power armor's helmet.

Sarah stood from behind her cover as the rest of the Pride continued to aim. "Knight Morgan," she replied, apparently recognizing the voice of the Outcast.

"Defender Morgan," the Outcast corrected. "These two corpses are ours. We'll consider it your thanks for saving you." Lloyd noticed two of them reloading missile launchers.

"Your timing is convenient," Sarah said. "You were going to ambush us before the Enclave showed up."

Colvin's finger tightened on his laser-sniper. He didn't fire, but wanted to.

"Before a better option showed up," Morgan countered, not refuting Sarah's accusation. "This way, we get what we want, the advanced power armor, and you get the rest."

"It's a good thing they showed up then, isn't it?" Sarah said, holding up her laser rifle. "It would've been a shame to put you down."

"Think whatever you may like, Lyons," Morgan said as she and her Outcasts moved back, maintaining their guard. "Say hello to the old man for us."

The Outcasts vanished behind a large pile of scrap, aiming at the Pride up until the very last moment. When they were gone, the Pride still kept an eye and a ready weapon stance in their direction for some time. Sarah turned back to her squad. "Any wounded?" They all shook their heads. "Good. That's damn lucky. Those vertibirds had us pinned."

Amata spoke up, "Are we going to let the Outcasts go?"

"Nothing we can do about them, no point in wasting ammo or volunteering to be shot at any more than we already have today. I don't think the Enclave's coming back here soon, but we'll have a detachment of knights sent here to guard Megaton in case that happens." She looked at the Pride. "No more surprises today! I want full-perimeter security, now! Kodiak, Glade, pick up the bodies and secure the equipment we came for. Get me that update from HQ," she ordered, looking at Dusk.

Dusk was silent for a moment as she held her hand up to her ear, listening for a response. Then, she looked up at Sarah. "Sentinel, we've got orders to return to the Citadel. Elder Lyons has given Star Paladin Cross and the Wandering Pair the liberty to choose their path from here." Dusk looked at the three of them. "Be alert for future orders relayed directly to your helmet's frequencies."

"Sure thing," Amata replied.

Cross approached, leaning on her super sledge. "I suggest we go to the people and tell them of their liberation. They will be undoubtedly overjoyed."

Lloyd chuckled a bit at her practical attitude. "I agree. Sarah, thanks again. We'll see you soon?"

"You bet," Sarah said, giving the three of them a small wave. Russ barked a little, and Sarah jokingly waved goodbye to the dog in response.

They split off from the Pride as they gathered the bodies and stripped them of arms and armor. From one of the houses in Springvale, a lone, desperate and dirty figure strained his eyes through the slits of his boarded-up windows. Colin Moriarty watched as the three soldiers in power armor, accompanied by an all-too familiar dog, departed. He saw that one of them was taller than the other two.

He knew exactly who they were, and cursed his luck that they were armored like they were. His hand tightened around his pistol as sweat ran down his forehead.

He'd been waiting for them to come back. They'd have to come out of that armor sometime.

* * *

"Three approaching the gate!" Stockholm called down to Lucas, who was standing with Billy Creel and Harlow, the guard for Moira Brown's store. Floating nearby was Deputy Steel, a Mr. Gutsy model robot. Together, the four of them represented with most able-bodied defense force the down could muster up, plus one military-grade robot. Armed with weapons from the town armory, they looked up at the town sniper with cautious optimism. They had heard the gunfight outside of the town, and the explosion from the crashed vertibird.

"Enclave?" Lucas asked.

Stockholm's head appeared over the edge of the platform once more. "No… Brotherhood of Steel!"

Lucas looked at the bewildered faces around him and shouted, "Open the gate!"

The great turbine the powered the mechanical process whirred to life, kicking up dust and scaring away birds. The three noted the gate opening as they approached, Lloyd and Amata both familiar with the two plane wings being hoisted aside, allowing them access to the main door. Billy and Harlow quickly opened it up, and Lucas strode out to meet them. Almost immediately upon seeing the three and their hound, he knew who they were. Well, two of them, at least.

"Well I'll be damned…" he said as they removed their helmets and shook out their hair. Lloyd placed his helmet under his arm and fixed the sheriff with a wide grin.

"Morning, sheriff," he said, as if nothing were wrong. "There was a bit of a pest problem outside. We took care of it for you."

Lucas put his hands on his hips and fixed Lloyd with a proud grin. "Now, look at you two. Vault suits when you first wandered in, and now knights in shining armor, but still saving the day like before." He couldn't help but break into a fit of joyous laughter as they neared, and Billy rapidly caught up to them, equally as astounded at the return of the Wandering Pair and their new equipment.

"Lloyd! Amata! We thought you two were dead!" he cried, then composed himself. "Well, I mean, some folks 'round here figured you were, but uh, I knew better."

"Of course," Amata replied, smiling.

Lucas looked at Star Paladin Cross. "And who is your friend here, Lloyd?" he asked, looking her up and down.

"Star Paladin Cross, at your service, sheriff," she answered.

"No, no, I am at yours," Lucas said, giving her a wink. He turned his attention back to the two vault dwellers. "And Megaton is once more in your debt."

By this time, a fairly large crowd, curious at the opening of the gate, had gathered. Upon recognizing the Wandering Pair, they broke into a fit of cheers and hollering, surrounding the two and their paladin companion. Russ barked happily as he was petted and the people of Megaton lavished thanks upon thanks his owners, who nodded, shook hands and accepted the praise, since there was really nothing else they could do.

Hundreds of questions were thrown at them. "Is that armor heavy?" "How did you beat the Enclave?!" "What's it like inside the Citadel?" "How can we ever thank you?" "How long are you going to stay?" "What about Rivet City? Are you going to free them, too?" "What if the Enclave comes back?"

Sheriff Simms held up his hands and shouted at everyone to calm down. "Come on now, our guests can't be treated like this! Give them some space, people! Get back to your work; we've got to get ready for the trade caravans!" He looked over at Billy. "Billy, get up to the saloon and tell them to contact G.N.R. with their radio to tell him the good news. Tell them to get Three Dog to contact the trade caravans and get them here as soon as possible. We need food, and soon."

Billy nodded quickly and ran, pausing briefly to offer one last thanks to Megaton's saviors. As the crowd dispersed, more thanks were given, but one voice rang out amongst the others: that of a little boy's.

"Lloyd! Amata! Russ!" Bryan called out as he ran down the dusty path, immediately throwing his small arms around their armored selves in a hug. They couldn't help but chuckle and hug him back. "I'm so glad you guys are okay! Did you come to save us? Did you do it already?"

"We did," Lloyd said, kneeling down.

"That is the coolest armor ever!" Bryan said, running his fingers around Lloyd's shoulder plate. "Can I wear it?"

"That might be a little difficult," Amata said, holding up her helmet. "But try this." She gently placed it on Bryan's head. It was a little too big and wobbled as he moved, but the boy didn't care. He ran around in circles, pretending he was a space man. Even Star Paladin Cross found the sight amusing, wearing a warm smile on her stoic face. Russ barked and joined the child in play, and Maggie and Harden ran up to join him as well. "Be careful!" Amata called out as they ran off.

Lucas chuckled. "You two. I swear, if I knew half the things you'd do for this town when I first saw you…"

"Not even we saw any of this coming," Lloyd said, stepping close. His merriment ceased as he grew serious. "The Enclave. They… killed our fathers," he said in a hushed tone. "We escaped their attack at Project Purity at the Jefferson Memorial. We found the Brotherhood and joined them. We're taking the fight to them, Lucas."

Lucas' smile vanished and his eyes grew distant. "Both your fathers?"

Amata grimly nodded and looked away, an unmistakable sadness in her eyes. Cross put her hand on her shoulder.

"I remember…" Lucas trailed off. "A while ago… At night. A lotta sounds in the distance, but nearby, outside the walls. Later on I matched it to those things they fly in. That must've been them… going in your vault."

"Colonel Autumn is dead, he died with my father. He told me that they are holding the population of Vault 101 somewhere. It would have to be a massive facility; their base of operations, most likely. Do you have any idea where that might be? Did anyone see where those vertibirds flew?"

The sheriff shook his head. "Naw… I'm sorry, boy. Nobody knows where they go. They seemed to come from the northeast, but that's all we've been able to gather."

Lloyd nodded. "Can we speak some more in private, Lucas?"

He nodded and showed them to his home. They entered it and sat around a table much like they had once in the past, when they joined the Regulators, the group Lucas himself belonged to. He spoke first.

"It's good to have you two back, but we need a plan in case the Enclave come back."

Star Paladin Cross replied, "The Brotherhood is going to dispatch a number of knights to guard the gate of your town. They are our warning system; if a force they cannot match comes up against them, we will send reinforcements."

"That's mighty fine of you folks," Lucas said with a smile. "Maybe now I can rest easy. Feels like I haven't slept in days."

"I know the feeling, sheriff," Cross added.

Lloyd pressed a few buttons on his Pip-Boy. "The Enclave are attacking and occupying places all over the wasteland. We've gotten reports from Rivet City and Canterbury Commons, and scout reports of them setting up camps like the one outside Megaton in various locations."

"The Brotherhood is stretched thin fighting the super mutant threat alone," Cross stated. "We're barely able to hold our posts in the D.C. ruins as it is. The Lyons' Pride can go mobile, but that's our only elite task force, and without the element of surprise like we had today, most Enclave squads will be able to match them."

Amata nodded. "That Enclave commander in the vertibird escaped. They'll be on the lookout for Brotherhood soldiers now. We've declared war on them."

"They declared it on us," Lloyd insisted. "Remember that. They struck first. The free people of the Capital Wasteland took back some of what they had taken today."

Cross nodded, surprised. "Well put, Lloyd. But we need to be ready for a counterattack. The Citadel is well-defended, and Megaton has walls, but they have flying transportation. That's an advantage we cannot underestimate. Their ability to cover wide tracks of ground and quickly mobilize squads is something no amount of defense our current force can last against forever."

"Well," Lucas said, pouring himself a mug of water, "so much for the good news, I suppose."

Lloyd looked up. "Lucas. Would the Regulators help us in this fight?"

The sheriff was silent for a moment. "The Regulators don't fight wars, Lloyd. Our conflict with Littlehorn & Associates, and Burke and Talon Company, those have been skirmishes at best. The Enclave has power armor and weapons that vastly outmatch ours. All we have is six-shooters and leather coats."

"And the will to do justice," Lloyd reminded him. "The Regulators must be made to know what the Enclave is going to do with Project Purity. If they control the only hope for clean water this land has seen in two hundred years…"

"They'll control the wasteland," Lucas finished. "All of it."

"Cross said so herself, Lucas. The Brotherhood isn't enough. We need more men. How many strong are the Regulators?"

The sheriff was quiet once more as he contemplated. "The Regulators are twenty strong. But I can't ask Sonora to enter a war like this, Lloyd. I just can't. Regulators operate alone. We're dispensers of wasteland justice, not soldiers."

"We were able to bring down a few of them without armor or advanced weaponry," Amata said. "Twenty might be able to make a difference."

"And Reilly's Rangers make twenty-six," Lloyd said, causing everyone to look at him. "They'll help. I know they will."

Lucas wasn't as sure. "They've got more skill working as a unit, but they're mappers, Lloyd, not full-blown mercenaries like Talon Company. You had to save them from super mutants."

Lloyd sat back, assessing his options. "The Family. They're at least thirty strong, and at least ten of them can fight."

"Who?" Lucas asked.

"They're an underground group with strong… beliefs," Amata explained, looking for the right word to explain it. She looked at Lloyd. "But Lloyd… do we have any right to drag them into this?"

Lloyd seemed to be grasping at straws. "We need as many people as possible to stand up the Enclave."

Cross intervened. "Lloyd is seeking the right path, but it is an uncertain course. If we had the time and resources to gather these groups, to train them into a cohesive fighting force, we would present a legitimate threat to the Enclave. But we cannot merely throw bodies at an enemy and expect victory."

"Rivet City's security force might be able to help," Amata suggested. "But the Enclave is parked on top of their home. The Lyons' Pride can't reach them."

Lloyd tapped his finger on his arm. "Jericho and his son. They can bring the raiders into the fight."

Lucas' eyebrows shot up. "Jericho has a son? Never mind that. Lloyd, you can't bring raiders into a fight and expect them not to betray you. It's actually the opposite—you can count on it."

"Not Jericho," Lloyd said. "He'd fight to the death for us. I know it. We gave him his son back."

"Alright, this is a story I need to hear, but later," Simms said, adjusting his wide-brimmed hat. "I just don't know how much help you'll find from the people of the wasteland, Lloyd. You know what it's like out there. Most folks can hardly eat, let alone fight. You need an army to fight an army, and who knows how many soldiers the Enclave have."

Lloyd closed his eyes. "Talon Company."

Everyone was dead silent. "You can't be serious," Amata deadpanned. "They have contracts on our heads, Lloyd. Remember when they attacked us outside Galaxy News? And the Rangers came?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Lloyd replied.

"But Burke will always be your enemy," Lucas reminded him. "And Jabsco hates you too, doesn't he?"

"Yeah… Look, I'm just listing out options, I'm not seriously considering it," Lloyd said, running his gauntleted hand through his hair. He remembered his earlier battle outside Megaton's gates, and the sudden emergence of an unexpected faction. "The Outcasts."

Cross came close to laughing out loud. "Now, I am afraid, you've closed in on the impossible, Lloyd. They will never fight alongside us."

Lloyd looked at the three assembled around the table. "The Enclave isn't going to stop at the Capital Wasteland, you know. They can't. They're a direct threat to everyone, everywhere. No group is safe from them and what they represent. If things get desperate enough… we have to be prepared to look for help from those we think are our enemies. Raiders, Talon Company, the Outcasts…" he trailed off and looked at them. "Raiders did not storm Vault 101. Talon Company did not kidnap its people. The Outcasts did not murder our fathers." He looked Amata in the eye as he said that last bit. "They're the enemies of my true enemy."

Lucas sighed, turning to pull out a harder drink, reaching into his liquor cabinet. "I think, Lloyd… you'd be better off starting with the Regulators. But I can't call them to war. Sonora Cruz can. Do you still have the map on your arm-things with the mark I made?"

"We do," Amata said, holding up her left arm and displaying her Pip-Boy. "We can visit them. Tonight, even."

"Always on the move, eh?" Lucas said, taking a small swig. "War… I tell you…"

Lloyd stood up. "Lucas. I need to ask you one last thing."

The sheriff blinked a few times. "What is it?"

Lloyd didn't say anything for a moment as he swallowed, searching for the words. "Look… It's easier to talk about groups of people, but when faced with an individual, it's… I mean…" He took a calming breath out, then in. "Lucas. I want to know that… if I were to… call on you, call on Megaton, to fight with me… if you would. I need all the help I can get. I know it." Amata had a surprised look on her face. He didn't blame her.

Lucas set down his bottle. He stood, staring Lloyd in the eyes. "I got a boy in this town. Billy's got a little girl. Stockholm watches for enemies. Jericho's gone. The Church of Atom practices pacifism. Deputy Steel guards the armory and Harlow protects Moira's shop. There's settlers and drifters here, but not soldiers. Lloyd… I'm sorry, boy. You can't rely on Megaton for help. I'm truly sorry."

Lloyd nodded, understanding but disappointed. "Alright, Lucas. Didn't hurt to ask."

The man clasped Lloyd on the shoulder. "But make no mistake, Lloyd… I'd fight the Enclave. I'm just too attached here."

"Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate it." He picked up his helmet from the table, and placed it under his arm once more.

"You're going to go see the Regulators tonight, then?" Lucas asked.

"No, not tonight," Lloyd replied. Amata met his gaze with a questioning look.

"Then what are we doing, exactly?" she asked.

Lloyd's voice was shaky, but his resolve was absolute. "I want to see what they did to the vault."

* * *

"And how are we feeling today, Colonel?" John Henry Eden asked with a chipper edge to his voice.

Colonel Autumn's lip twitched slightly. "Fine, Mr. President. I'm just fine." He stood in the center of a dark room, illuminated only by a single light over his head. President Eden presented himself through a large television screen, appearing as he always had: seated calmly with authority and poise behind a large Enclave flag, proudly displaying its red, white and blue colors.

"I assume you've read the most recent reports from Megaton, as well as our monitoring of the radio waves?" Eden asked.

"I have."

"Then you know they have returned, and are stronger than ever, Colonel," Eden said, disappointment clear in his voice. "You have failed in your mission to prevent them from becoming symbols. They are heroes now. 'Knights in shining armor' they were called on the radio. 'Saviors of the wasteland.' What do you intend to do to correct this, Colonel?"

Autumn let out a sharp sigh of frustration as he clenched his gloved hand, then relaxed. "This will not matter in the long run, Mr. President. We have already won. Project Purity is ours. Once we get the purifier working—"

"I'm afraid not, Colonel," Eden interrupted him. "I grow tired and weary of these delays and failures. I have little doubt of the course the two of them will take from here. We can ill-afford another Megaton incident. I am dispatching more units to Rivet City to take it by force."

"That wasn't the plan, Mr. President," Autumn protested. "We were not going to harm the people."

"The welfare of the surviving peoples of the Capital Wasteland is no longer a concern to me, Colonel. It never truly has been. They present an obstacle now, one that must be overcome. Our past methods and plans have proven ineffectual in this regard."

"We agreed on a specific course of action long ago. We were not going to give the people a reason to rally against us."

"We have already given them something to rally behind, Colonel. Lloyd Freeman and Amata Almodovar. Now, we are going to give them something to fear. Agent DeLoria will lead the charge."

Autumn's head tilted slightly and his eyes filled with skepticism. "Agent DeLoria? He's a science experiment, not a true soldier. He's got combat drugs filtered through his system. How can you expect results from him in this kind of mission?"

Eden shook his head. "You don't have an eye for talent anymore Colonel; what a shame. The boy has great promise. Once he has worked for us long enough, the psychoactive medication will no longer be necessary. He'll be loyal to our cause… certainly more loyal than some."

Autumn heard an accusation buried beneath the president's words. "And where is Agent DeLoria now?"

"On special assignment," was all Eden answered.

Autumn took out a small handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I assume I'll find a report of this 'special assignment' on my desk?"

Eden very matter-of-factly replied, "No, Colonel. This assignment is my jurisdiction. Not yours."

"Mr. President… Am I not privy to the activities in this campaign to retake the capital? All of them?"

"No, Colonel. Not any longer. I've trusted too much of this operation into your hands. Now, I'm taking a more direct approach. Agent DeLoria is my answer to your failures."

Autumn's fury was rising, but he maintained his bearing. "Mr. President… I—"

"Have you taken your injections yet today, Colonel?" Eden interrupted him. Autumn stood a little straighter.

"No… Not yet, Mr. President."

"Then perhaps you should. You are dismissed, Colonel."

Autumn stormed out of President Eden's office, his blood boiling. He was going to find out where the newly-appointed Agent DeLoria had gone, and why he had been sent there. He realized that for the first time in his Enclave career, he was afraid of something he had never had cause to fear: replacement.

He was going to do everything in his power to ensure that he would not be.

* * *

Amata, Cross, Russ and Lloyd stood before the cavernous entrance to Vault 101. The wooden door that the two former vault dwellers had emerged from in a time that seemed so very long ago was now gone, torn off of its feeble hinges. It lay tattered and forgotten in the dusty wind not far away. They left the evening light of the Capital Wasteland and descended below, travelling towards the great steel cog that served as the entrance to their childhood home. It too was open, and though they weren't close enough to see the blood stains on the walls and ground from the initial pacification of the vault's rebels, the sight of both doors merely being open was enough to unsettle them immensely. Each dreaded coming back here, but like Lloyd, Amata wanted to see this place just as much as he.

They passed the skeletons that were outside the door from when they had left. One of them had a crushed skull, now. Lloyd easily imagined an Enclave power boot caving it in. A grim reminder of who had come before them. The entrance hall was splattered with scorch marks and blood stains, but no corpses. They had taken all of them away. They advanced further, with Russ whining softly. It seemed that he could pick up on the strange emotions the sight of their gutted vault was bringing about in his masters.

They explored the atrium, finding it a mess. They didn't know how much of the damage was caused by the Enclave, or possibly the turmoil that swept through the vault from their self-exile, but now it was nothing more than the remnants of a population swept away by a hostile invading force; everything left behind exactly as it was, collecting dust. Tables overturned, meals uneaten, music boxes playing hauntingly lonesome tunes through the halls, lights flickering, radroaches skittering through the halls freely. The juxtaposition of the chaos that left the vault in the state it was currently in compared to their memories of how it was left was frighteningly unnerving to them—but perhaps, more than anything else, the lack of people was the worst thing. It was a dead vault, utterly devoid of life outside small pests who had become more prevalent with their populations unchecked by the lack of human oversight.

Vault 101, its people, and their memories of this place were all gone, replaced with a hollow shell of steel and cold air. It felt unnatural, like a twisted vision playing with their minds, as though it were an unreal figment of a nightmare, but it was real. This was the result of their actions, the consequences that had fallen upon their home, friends and families.

Neither could find the words to describe how the sight made them feel. Amata and Lloyd silently exchanged glances through the eyes of their helmets, each knowing that the other was mutually feeling what they were going through. It was a journey through their own kind of hell, but one they needed to take. This was a demon they had to confront. It was fuel for the fire that the Enclave had lit within them. Seeing firsthand what they had done to their former home was more than enough to motivate them to see this fight through to the very bitter end.

Through it all, Star Paladin Cross remained silent, following dutifully behind the two. She knew nothing of this place other than what she had heard, but she was able to understand their inner pain from their body language. The visage of this place was stirring something in them. Their shared looks contained a message that she could only guess at. It reminded her of the last time she had seen her own home from her childhood, long before she was set along the path that had taken her here. It was a painful, troubling time, but it had made her stronger. She knew that it would do the same for them, and so she knew she patiently would wait for their sojourn here to end.

Finally, Amata spoke. "Lloyd, I'm going to go to my old room… There's something there I want to see."

He nodded softly. "Actually, I think I'll go to mine, too… We'll stay in touch with radio."

They looked at Cross. "Perhaps I will wait by the entrance," she offered. "Just in case."

The three of them parted then, with Russ confused on where to go. Lloyd noticed and bid the canine to follow Amata. Cross retraced her steps to the entrance and stood there with the head of her hammer on the ground, as still as a statue. As she required no sleep, she was prepared to stay here all night to ensure that none came in without her knowing.

Little did she know, someone already had.

Both Lloyd and Amata knew their way around the vault like the back of their hand. They both reached their rooms at the same time, roughly, and both did the same thing. They looked at photographs of their fathers.

Lloyd picked one up, holding the frame to the light. Jonas had taken this photo, on his tenth birthday, down on the reactor level. He stood there next to his father, triumphantly holding up a BB gun while James smiled and held young Lloyd by the shoulder. As the now-adult Lloyd traced his fingers over the picture, removing dust, he looked at his father's face. So full of pride and love for his son, and Lloyd's own was happy and carefree. So unlike now. His mind was filled with pain as the images of his father's death flashed before his eyes. His father's last words rang in his head. He spoke of how proud he was of Lloyd.

James died for what he believed in. He died defending it, sacrificing the greatest thing he had: his own life. In doing so, he saved the Capital Wasteland, if only by buying it time for Lloyd to come back and finish what he had started. And Lloyd knew that he was going to do it. He too was proud of his father, of what his father stood for. He had always strived to do right thing, even in the face of madness and evil. He fought the cruelty of the Overseer, the brutality of the wasteland and the oppression of the Enclave. He spit in all of their faces and did everything in his power to fight for the people he cared about.

Lloyd only hoped that his own death would have that much meaning, a grim thought though it might be.

Amata was having different thoughts as she looked at the photo of her and her father, Alphonse. She was smiling, and hugging his waist. He, perhaps in an effort to look professional, was straight-faced and not smiling, though he did have his hand on her shoulder, perhaps the one sign of affection in the photo he offered her nine-year-old self. But that was his way, and she still loved him dearly. He kept his emotions in check around her in an attempt to afford her a role-model for the day that she would take over as Overseer. Though he was quick to anger occasionally, he was almost always pragmatic and unemotional. The love he showed her was different from most fathers, but she eventually came to understand why.

It only made the fact that she never got a chance to say goodbye to her father that much more painful. He was gone now, and it was her fault. She reached for the buckles on the underside of her helmet and unclasped them, removing it and breathing the familiar stale air of Vault 101 once more. She held the helmet in her lap. She did this so she could wipe the tears from her eyes that thoughts of her father almost always brought.

Russ was solemnly sitting next to her, with his head low to the floor. After a moment of listening to her softly sobbing, his ears perked up. He stood and turned around, looking out of her door. The canine heard and smelled him before he was in sight. Russ barked and charged out, leaving a surprised and confused Amata behind. She stood as she heard another bark, then a gunshot, followed by a pained cry, one of a dog being wounded.

Or possibly killed.

As Amata drew out her sidearm, Colin Moriarty charged into the room and pointed a pistol at her. "Don't fuckin' move!" he shouted, aiming at her head. She stood there, breathing heavily with fresh tears on her face, helmet in one hand and weapon in the other. She didn't have it pointed up yet. "Drop the fuckin' gun!" he ordered, near panic in his voice. He looked haggard, dirty, sweaty and he smelt even worse.

Amata had no idea how this man had found himself here, but she was keeping calm, admirable, given the circumstances. She dropped her weapon to the floor. She hoped that Lloyd or Cross had heard the gunshot and prayed that Russ was alright. Perhaps more than anything, though, she wished she had her helmet on right now, as it was the only reason he had any power over her.

Moriarty advanced. "So… Here we are again…" he said, his accent as thick as it was in her memories. "On yer knees," he ordered.

Slowly, she descended onto one knee, then the other. His jaw quivered slightly as his grip on his shaking gun tightened, steadying it a little. "I been waitin' a long time fer this, girlie… You and yer little boyfriend are gonna pay fer what ya did ta me…"

"Colin…" Amata tried to reason with the man, "…don't do something you're going to regret. Is hurting Lloyd or I going to solve any of your problems?"

"No… but it'll make me feel damn better," he said, moving closer.

Amata sniffled a little, calming her breathing. "Think, Colin. If you hurt me, what is going to happen to you? We have our friend guarding the only entrance and exit to the vault. You're not going to leave here without us letting you go. You can still survive this if you stop doing what you're doing, right now."

"Ya think ye're so high an' mighty, don'cha? Ya think ye're always right; ye've got the authority ta just kick people outta their homes an' take the place fer yer own? Well ye're not!" he shouted, holding the gun against her forehead. "I had me own saloon! It was me dad's! Then ya come along and decide I'm not good enough fer ya?"

"Colin, please, I—"

"Shut up! I'm fixin' ta teach ya a little lesson, lassie. You and yer boyfriend. I started with yer dog, now you. Just puttin' down dogs, eh? Just puttin' down dogs. Goodnight, ya uptight, pompous, know-it-all little bit—"

Colin's slew of insults was interrupted the moment Amata saw her chance. He was momentarily distracted, so she flung her arm, the one holding the helmet, straight up, knocking the gun from his hands. He fired it once, but the bullet harmlessly deflected off the steel wall of her bedroom. Before she could reach for her sidearm, Colin had run from the room. She threw her helmet back on as she exited, stopping once she saw the twitching form of Russ. He was still alive, but bleeding from a wound in his side. She knelt next to him, activating her helmet's radio.

"Lloyd! Cross! Moriarty is in the vault, he's shot Russ!"

Lloyd's voice immediately came in reply. "What!? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, he almost killed me but I'm fine! Russ is the one that's hurt! He's alive, but I don't know for how long!" Russ whined weakly alongside her as she petted him to keep him calm.

"I will stay at the door, he cannot escape that way!" Cross said.

Lloyd had been halfway to his father's old office when he had heard Amata's voice over the radio. Now, he was running and talking at the same time. "Good idea, Cross. Amata, can you get Russ out of here, back to Megaton? Get him patched up?"

"I can, but what about you?"

"I'll deal with Colin. Where is he?"

"He attacked Russ and I outside of my room. He can't have gotten far."

"I'll track him down. Get Russ and get out of here as quick as you can!"

Amata knelt to pick up Russ as delicately as her armored form would allow. Holding him close, she ran for the exit. Mere moments later, she passed Star Paladin Cross, who was now facing the inside of the vault, waiting for any sign of Colin. They did not make any exchange as they passed—Amata simply continued running towards Megaton, knowing that every second counted to save the life of their faithful friend and travelling companion.

Lloyd began searching the vault, systematically closing off sections he cleared as he moved on. With his Pip-Boy, and his knowledge from having lived here his entire life up until recently, he was able to secure the locks on the doors to every room and section. Frequently, he would check in with Cross, who would relay his status to Amata, since him being in the vault and her in Megaton prevented them from directly communicating.

"I've cleared off half of this place," Lloyd reported as he walked around a corner. "I don't think he can—"

He was staring directly at Moriarty at the end of the hall. Colin turned and saw Lloyd. "Shit."

Lloyd took off after the man, chasing him through the corridors and passageways. Lloyd knew where they were going to end up—with the sections he had sealed off, there was only one other place Moriarty could run to from his current course. The garbage incinerator room.

Sure enough, just as Lloyd had predicted, Colin took a sharp right and ran down the stairs, slipping on the steel. The vault dweller reached the top of the stairwell and saw Colin lying at its base, struggling to get up. Slowly, Lloyd descended the stairs, the boots of his power armor echoing in the dark room. Moriarty looks up and squinted at the backlit visage of Lloyd's tall self, looking imposing in his power armor, reaching for his gun.

Moriarty managed a weak stance, holding one arm that was badly bruised. His forehead was leaking blood, which ran down his neck and pooled in his dirty white shirt. Lloyd halted a few steps away, holding the magnum he had received from the mysterious stranger.

Colin spat out some blood. "Well? We doin' this lad? Or what?"

"Why, Colin?" Lloyd asked, his voice slightly amplified through his helmet's speakers. "You didn't have to attack us."

"Fuck you, ya bleedin' hypocrite," Moriarty shot back. "Kick me outta me home, me castle, force me to live in some backwater, no-plumbing, shit-smelling little wooden house outside Megaton… Fuck off. Ya ain't done half the things I done, boy. Ya don't know the real dirty side of life. Ya think that just because ya grew up pampered in this place that ya can just waltz into the real world and enforce ye're so-called moral superiority? That ya shot a few super mutants? That ye're wearin' some fancy armor?" He paused to spit out some more blood. "Ya make me fuckin' sick."

"You shot my dog," Lloyd accused.

"Would do it again in a heartbeat," Moriarty proclaimed with a bloody smile. "Just my way o' returnin' the favor."

Lloyd raised the magnum. He kept it raised, but didn't pull the trigger.

"Go on," Moriarty taunted. "Show me how big a man ya really are. Come on." Lloyd's continued silence seemed only to infuriate the man. "Come on!"

Lloyd made his choice.

* * *

"Are you certain you wish to do this?" Cross asked. Lloyd nodded, pressing the keys on the console to finalize the sealing process on the great cog of Vault 101.

"If we're ever going to come back here, we can't have had raiders or wild animals moving in while we're away," Lloyd explained. He stood back and watched the massive door roll into place, locked into position by the key mechanism. Steam and dust kicked up as the alarm blared, but through his helmet, it was a faraway noise indeed. The sight of the door sealing shut harkened back to the say he and Amata left. It was only fitting that he should see it one more time to finish their reunion with Vault 101.

He turned and scooped up Moriarty's body, throwing it over his shoulder. "Let's get going."

They exited the tunnel, finding Amata there. She saw them approach, specifically noting Lloyd carrying Colin.

"Is he…?" she asked.

"Alive, but unconscious. We'll take him back to Megaton, have Lucas lock him up. He's too dangerous to be allowed to run freely.

"If I may ask, Lloyd—you had the chance to kill him, did you not?" Cross inquired. "Why did you elect to spare him?"

Lloyd turned to look at the Star Paladin. "Our chase ended in the incinerator room. It's where we burned garbage and refuse in the vault. I was there, he was taunting me, and I had my gun out. Then… I saw something."

"What?" Amata asked. Lloyd didn't face her as he explained.

"I saw where the Enclave put the bodies of the people they had killed in their raid. They disposed of them." Now, he turned to her. "Like garbage."

She was shocked, to say the least. Had her own father ended up inside those incinerators? The thought sickened her.

"I was there, facing a man who was injured and unarmed. I had a weapon, and I had power armor. If I killed Colin right then and there, in that moment…" he trailed off.

Cross finished his words for him, "You feel as though you would have become no better than your enemy."

He nodded. "So I pistol-whipped him instead. Is Russ alright?"

"He's with Doc Church in the clinic. Bryan's with him, keeping him calm. Church says that he doesn't work on animals, but I convinced him."

Lloyd chuckled. "I don't wanna know how. Let's go home."

"Lloyd," Star Paladin Cross got his attention. "I want you to know; for what it is worth, I believe you made the right choice. We must always aspire to do what is right, even in the face of an easier path. Even in a time of war. This is an important lesson, one James must have taught you. He would be proud."

Lloyd smiled. "Thank you, Cross… I know he's proud." Lloyd looked up at the night sky, seeing the moon shine above, half full. "He told me so himself."

* * *

On the western edge of the D.C. ruins, there was a place known as Bailey's Crossroads. There, a group of Outcasts viciously and stubbornly defended a site they had laid claim to. For the past week, super mutants had been hounding them, taking some of their numbers. For every Outcast killed, they took out several of the green-skinned monstrosities. But there were many more super mutants than Outcast soldiers, and supplies were wearing thin. Desperation was settling in within the underground compound they had discovered, not only from the super mutant siege, but from the frustration of not being able to access their treasure.

They had long ago recovered information revealing the location of a horde of pre-war tech, buried beneath Bailey's Crossroads in a bunker designed for training soldiers in a virtual-reality environment. Unfortunately, the impenetrable vault was linked to the training program, which could only be unlocked by someone with a Pip-Boy. Only upon the completion of the simulation, one of the Chinese occupation of Anchorage, Alaska, would the vault be opened. The specialists of the Outcasts worked day and night to find an alternative, but there was simply no other way around it.

Though they had been broadcasting a cry for help over the radio, no one had responded. Above, an Outcast defender and his squad held off a particularly brutal onslaught. The super mutants were getting bolder and bolder, testing more of the Outcasts' defensive lines. While the power armored soldiers were able to repel them, the attack was taking its toll on their resolve. It nearly broke when they heard the roar of a behemoth.

The massive hulk of a super mutant burst through a building, sending concrete and dust flying in all directions. It charged forward like a train, its gigantic feet crushing debris and dead bodies along the way. With super mutants and their degenerated mutant kin cheering it on and following behind it, they swarmed over the defensive line, killing the Outcasts one at a time, sometimes tearing them to pieces. The behemoth held one aloft, squeezing the unfortunate soldier in its great, green hands. It roared in triumph.

A vertibird appeared over the area, spraying the behemoth with a torrent of laser fire. It screamed in pain and anger, throwing the corpse of the Outcast at it. It veered off, launching a missile at the behemoth, knocking it down. The vertibird touched down on a nearby rooftop, bullets bouncing off of its armored hide. Its door opened and from it strode Butch DeLoria, clad in his Tesla armor, wielding a powerful and advanced plasma rifle. The vertibird, having completed its primary mission, lifted off and made for the horizon.

Butch wasted no time. He leapt from the building, falling two stories and landing on his feet. The stone cracked beneath him and he took off running, gunning down two super mutants along his way. His plasma rifle fired three blasts per discharge, with each shot sinking three blobs of super-heated green plasma into his targets. He leapt onto the stomach of the behemoth, which was trying to get up onto its feet. Its lipless mouth hung open, allowing Butch the opening he needed. He ran up its chest and shoved the barrel of his weapon into its mouth, pulling the trigger over and over again.

The behemoth twitched and groaned, its cheeks imploding with green plasma. Its throat and neck burned from the inside-out, and soon even its eyes melted and green smoke bled through the now-empty sockets. All around him, super mutants either fled or tried shooting at him, finding their rounds to be utterly ineffective against his armor. Of course, some bullets did get through the plates, but his healing factor made it seem as though they meant nothing to him. He spent the next few minutes finishing off the super mutants, and when he ran out of ammo, he opted to chase down survivors with his power fist rather than reload.

The Outcasts watched in a mixture of awe and suspicion. Once Butch had finished his handiwork, he turned and found a group of them approaching him. "Who are you?" their squad leader asked. The man saw that Butch was wearing a Pip-Boy. "You, you have one of those arm consoles!" he excitedly exclaimed. "You must have gotten our cry for help over the radio, right?"

Butch looked at his Pip-Boy, then back to the Outcast. "Yeah… Sure I did. Mind showing me where the problem is…?"

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review or continue; preferably both.**


	22. Superhumans and Scorpions

Lloyd was too busy packing his backpack with gear and supplies recently acquired from Craterside Supply to hear his front door open. Though, to be fair, Bryan was intentionally being quiet. He looked at Lloyd, who had his helmet off, though the rest of his armor remained. "Lloyd?" he asked. The nineteen-year-old stopped and gave the young boy a surprised look.

"Bryan," he said, slightly relieved that it was only the child. "I didn't hear you come in. What's up?"

"I was wondering about something," he said, seeming a little nervous or perhaps uncertain. Lloyd set a pistol down on his table and approached the youth, kneeling in front of him. His armored form dwarfed the child.

"Bryan?" Lloyd asked, getting his attention. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"You're leaving tomorrow?" Lloyd nodded. "And… you're going to go fight the Enclave?"

Lloyd paused for a moment, before grimly answering, "Yes, I'm afraid we are."

"Why?" Bryan asked. "I mean… they're not giant ants, so… can't you talk to them? Get them to stop whatever it is they're doing?"

Lloyd leaned back a bit. "That's… I mean… well, no, Bryan. I don't think we can. They… They've done too much to us."

"What happened that day you met them?"

Lloyd got a faraway look in his eyes as he reached over and softly grasped the boy's shoulder. "Bryan, how did you feel when those ants took away your father?"

He didn't quite know how to answer the question. "Um… Angry, I guess… and really, really sad…"

"What did you want to do to the ants?"

"Kill'em all…"

Lloyd nodded. "But, you couldn't, right?" The boy sadly shook his head. Lloyd didn't want to make him relive the traumatic experience, but he knew it would help his point. "You couldn't because there were more of them. They were scary, and they weren't going to stop. You didn't really know why they did what they did, but it happened anyway, and you were powerless to stop it. Am I right?"

"Yes…"

"Now, imagine that if you had a giant gun or something, to fight the ants with. Would you have?" Again, the boy agreed. "Why?"

"'Cuz... They took my dad away from me," he said, wiping away a tear.

"It's called revenge, and I understand it… all too well. But, there's more, Bryan, more that, maybe, you don't know about yet." Lloyd thought for a moment as Bryan patiently waited. "How do I explain this... Ants. You see, ants are insects. They don't negotiate, talk to people. They don't make deals, or care about your feelings. All they care about is their own goals, their own desires. For them, it's either you or their kind. Do you understand that?"

"I guess so… but what does that have to do with it?"

Lloyd sighed, trying to find the right words. "Sometimes, Bryan, people… a group of people… can be like that. They're only interested in themselves and couldn't care less about others. For one reason or another, they've grown to hate everyone who isn't them, and want to fight them. Rule over them, or kill them all. That's the Enclave, Bryan. And…" he took a steadying breath before adding, "…they took my father away from me."

Bryan's eyes went wide. "It's true, then? I heard, but… I didn't know if it was true…"

"It's true. That's why I have to fight them, Bryan. It's why I fought those ants. So people like you… and I… never have to go through what we've been through. If we can stop the Enclave, the people of the Capital Wasteland, of the world, will be safer. That's why we have to go."

Bryan reached up and threw his arms around Lloyd's neck, pulling him down into a hug. Lloyd returned it, letting the boy cry a little. He hated that he had brought up Bryan's father, but he had realized that it was the easiest way to explain why he wanted to fight the Enclave. Vengeance was a big part of it, Lloyd readily admitted to that, but he never forgot that the Enclave were corrupt, and a worthy thing for a noble soul to oppose. His father had defied them, and like him, Lloyd would too.

"Why's it like this?" Bryan asked between quiet sobs. "How come it's like this?"

Lloyd softly brushed the back of the boy's head. "It's… life, Bryan. It's always been like this." He was about to say that it never changes, but stopped himself, instead opting to pull the child back a bit to look him in his slightly-reddened eyes. "But… if we work hard enough… fight hard enough… maybe we can change it, and make it so that it never happens to anyone else. That alone is worth fighting for."

He sniffled a little. "Will it ever happen?"

Lloyd managed a weak smile. "I'll make it happen, Bryan. For you, for me, for Amata, and Russ, my friends, our fathers…" he trailed off.

"You promise?"

"I promise," Lloyd said with resolve.

"And you'll back come home?" Bryan asked hopefully.

Lloyd smiled warmly and replied, "I'll have to, Bryan. You and Russ will be here waiting for me."

Bryan looked a little shocked, but in a happy way. "Russ is staying here?"

"Amata and I decided that it would be best. He's a lucky dog, and tough, too, but we'd be idiots to let him go out there again in this state. So take care of him, okay?"

"I promise I will, I promise!" Bryan said, a smile forming amongst his teary face.

Lloyd leaned in close and whispered, "He loves iguana bits. Goes nuts for 'em." Bryan laughed a little, and hugged Lloyd one more time as he pulled away.

"Thank you, Lloyd... for everything."

"You're welcome. And hey, if you ever want to talk, about anything… I'll be there for you, okay?"

Bryan eventually let go and headed for the door, pausing briefly to wave back at Lloyd. He ran off into Megaton, presumably to play with Maggie and Harden. Lloyd's smile faded. He hadn't thought about it since returning to Megaton, but now he shared something very personal and powerful with Bryan. A pain both of them had now gone through: being helpless to save their father. Lloyd remembered the day they met Bryan outside of Grayditch. He sympathized with the child, but didn't truly understand the depth of the boy's torment.

But now he did. What's more, Bryan's words had gotten Lloyd to think again about his quest. He had known, from the beginning of his training with the Brotherhood, that he was in this for revenge. So was Amata. But were the other reasons he was engaging in war with the Enclave merely self-justified excuses for his revenge?

'No, Lloyd,' he stopped himself in thought. 'The Enclave don't deserve to rule the Capital Wasteland. Unfortunate though it might be, your only option is to fight them. They're the ones leaving you no choice… right?'

He stood up, resuming his packing. "Right," he said aloud, to no one in particular, save himself.

* * *

The vertibird swept low over the Potomac River, kicking up water as it neared the beached hull of Rivet City. It swooped up and came to a slow halt over its deck, landing amongst the Enclave encampment that had been constructed there. From the control tower, Harkness looked on, carefully observing what was happening. A man emerged, an officer that he did not recognize, but Lloyd would: Colonel Augustus Autumn.

Colonel Autumn met with some of the soldiers that were running the camp. Harkness wished he knew what exactly they were discussing. He was worried that, regardless, he'd find out all too soon.

Outside, Autumn's eyes gazed across the dull, green river at the Jefferson Memorial, which housed Project Purity. It was now protected by a perimeter of photonic resonator forcefields, ensuring that none without the proper authorization could get near the memorial. That, at least, was going according to plan. They would hold the memorial until they discovered the key to getting the purifier up and running. Then, they will have won.

But Autumn was here now to put a stop to a rumor a subordinate had passed onto him, that President Eden was going to mount an attack against Rivet City. This was distressing to the colonel, who worried that another situation alike Megaton might occur. But even more than that, he was worried that if it were true, then President Eden had gone over his head and not informed him of this attack. It would mean that he was no longer in the loop, and therefore possibly no longer seen as useful by the President.

Autumn had personally overseen every committee the Enclave had held over the past five years regarding the occupation of the Capital Wasteland. His input was integral to every step of the plan, and he knew it better than anyone else in the organization, save for, perhaps, the President. And yet, the plan was now going into a wildly different direction, all because of the intervention of that blasted James, his damned son and his girlfriend. If he didn't need them alive, he'd have them before a firing squad the first chance he got.

"Your orders, sir?" the soldier nearest him asked.

"I want an update on the current situation, immediately," the colonel replied. Another soldier spoke up.

"We've been holding this position and fortifying it with men and equipment. No civilian contact, though we have seen them through the windows of the tower. We're currently awaiting the arrival of the specialist and will aid in his entrance to the hold below."

Autumn's eyes narrowed. "Specialist? What specialist?"

"Agent DeLoria, sir," the soldier answered.

So that's what it was, then. Eden planned to have the science experiment attack Rivet City. "Agent DeLoria is not here, then?"

"No sir, we are expecting him any moment, however."

"I want you to cancel any plans you have for attacking Rivet City, dismantle equipment and—"

He was interrupted by a captain. "I'm sorry, sir, but these orders come directly from President Eden. He has specifically told us to neglect your orders if you were to attempt to halt our operation."

Colonel Autumn's eyes flared with fury as his fist clenched. "This is an outrage!" he said, feeling the familiar itch brought about by his radiation bath in the Project Purity chamber. His face twisted slightly, causing the skin on his forehead to crack. "I order you to halt this attack!"

"We cannot do that, sir. And Agent DeLoria has just arrived."

The colonel turned to see a vertibird landing, and he and Harkness both watched as Butch DeLoria emerged. His advanced power armor crackled with energy from the tesla coils on its pauldrons. Upon his back, secured by magnetic force, were an advanced plasma rifle and a gauss rifle, a powerful electromagnetic rifle which propelled 2mm ferromagnetic projectiles by accelerating it through a process of magnet induction. At his hip was belted a sword that was charged with electric energy, making the "shocksword" seem almost alive.

Butch confidently strode up to the group, and the captain greeted him. Autumn pushed his way past to directly address the agent. "Agent DeLoria, your orders have changed. You are not to assault Rivet City."

Butch regarded the man through the yellow eyes of his helmet. "Not according to the President."

"I am a superior officer, and I am in command of this occupation. You will obey my orders," Autumn warned.

Butch's voice had an amused tone. "And if I don't? Who are you going to cry to? The President?" Butch leaned in close. "Because he likes me more."

Before the shocked Autumn could reply, Butch pushed past him, shoulder-checking the colonel, who received a very small jolt from it. He couldn't believe the insolence! The arrogance! His condition was flaring up in response to his temper. He was seeing the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, now. Eden was grooming Butch to be more than just an agent of the secret service. He could see it now: "Colonel DeLoria."

'No!' Autumn nearly screamed in his mind. A sudden and horrible migraine swept through him and he grabbed the sides of his head in pain.

"Sir?" one of the soldiers near him looked on in concern.

"Get me… Back to Raven Rock… Time: now!" he ordered, trying to see straight. His helath was rapidly deteriorating. 'No… not now… goddamnit, not now…'

He needed his injections. For some reason, they weren't lasting as long as they were supposed to. Above, Harkness watched as the obviously pained colonel was taken to a vertibird and lifted away. He wished the glass wasn't separating the two of them so that he could scan the man and learn more about what was truly going on, but he knew enough from lip-reading the colonel that the soldier in the strange power armor was about to lead an attack on Rivet City. Harkness quickly informed Lana to mobilize the men and be ready for the assault. He turned his gaze back to the deck to try to discern where it was going to come from.

They were setting something up in the center of the deck. A device he did not recognize, but upon analysis of its outward configuration once they were halfway through setting it up, he discovered to his horror that it was a high-powered laser drill, one which would cut through the hull of Rivet City's marketplace ceiling. From there, soldiers would be able to repel downwards from a harness they were simultaneously setting up the rig for over where they intended to cut the hole. He estimated that they had about thirty minutes before they made their move.

The one in the strange, electric power armor was there, overseeing it.

"Christopher?" Lucy got his attention. "What's going to happen?"

"They're coming in," he told her grimly. He put his hands on her shoulders, giving her a sincere look. "Lucy, Lana and I have a series of contingency plans. Long ago, we agreed on a course of action: if Rivet City was ever attacked, by super mutants, slavers or anything, the people would hide. There's a hold beneath the ship, with stockpiles of some food and water. It's not much. We've had to take from its stores over the years. But right now, it's our only hope. I need you to go there with the other civilians. The security will come with me to the market. That's where we make our stand."

Lucy understood everything he had said, but she didn't like a single word of it. "Christopher, I… Will you be alright?"

He pulled her close then, capturing her lips in a kiss. She relented and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, returning it in earnest passion. "I'm sorry, Lucy. There's no more time. Lana will know what to do. Please, be safe for me."

"_You_ be safe for me," she said, giving him one last hug. They parted, and it tugged at his heartstrings to see her go.

He picked up his plasma rifle and headed for the marketplace. For better or worse, he was going to keep the people of Rivet City safe, no matter what.

* * *

The town of Canterbury Commons was silent. Atop one of its rooftops, standing vigil like a heroic gargoyle was the armored form of the Mechanist, and alongside him were several of his robotic minions. He was waiting for the Enclave to return, but was also on the lookout for the AntAgonizer, with whom he had established a tenuous-at-best alliance with in the face of their common enemy.

He was expecting betrayal at any moment, so he was on constant alert. Alas, his mortal frame required rest, something he hoped to eventually phase out with cybernetics, but in the meantime he needed to sleep. His robots would stay to guard the town in his place. Taking two of them, he left Canterbury Commons behind him, heading back to his home in an abandoned electronics store.

Underneath the earth, not far from Canterbury Commons, the AntAgonizer and her insect brood gathered and waited. She knew not what she was going to do against the Enclave threat, but she and the Mechanist had driven them off once, and may be able to do so again. She cursed her fortune for having to work alongside that fool and his tin can machines. She reminded herself that it was only a setback. After defeating the Enclave, she would lead her ant army against the world itself!

But what if she failed? What if the Mechanist and the Enclave arrayed against her? Now, she was worried. She petted one of her ants as she wracked her brain for solutions. Obviously, she would have to make the first move… but when? She reached out with her mind, hearing the simplistic chatter of her ants, calling out to her and to each other. Her scouts outside of Canterbury Commons hadn't seen any of the Enclave vehicles yet. She was ready for their return.

She received a mental image from one of her darling ant children, that of the accursed Mechanist retreating from the town with two of his machines in tow. Perhaps now was her chance to take the town from underneath him! Perhaps, if she single-handedly repelled the Enclave, she would convince the town to worship her out of gratitude. That was an enticing thought…

Dreading both the return of the Enclave and the wannabe superhumans was Ernest Roe, the man who handled the town's dealings with the trade caravans. Both would keep the caravans away from this place, and having learned of Megaton's liberation over the radio, his hope was growing. Perhaps liberation would come for them as well? With no way of his own to contact anyone, due to their radio being only able to receive, and not send, messages, he could only hope someone would eventually come to their aid.

It used to be that he would use the radio to contact the Regulators, like that one incident with Junders Plunkett. He could really use their help right about now.

'Damnit all to hell, Wollinski,' he thought to himself about the Mechanist. 'We need a mechanic, not a damn superhero.'

* * *

Harkness was giving orders to two of his fellow security officers when he heard the unmistakable noise of something boring through metal. He looked up to the ceiling to see a bright orange circle forming amongst the steel, wide enough for a man to fit through. They had activated the drill. He barked out his final orders and prepared his plasma rifle.

The circle got hotter and brighter with each passing second. The security guards around him all tightened their grips around their weapons as the dread of the upcoming battle rose in their hearts and minds. Small bits of molten steel fell from the circle, rapidly cooling on the ground below. Then, it happened. The metal circle, about a foot thick, fell from above. It landed on the ground with a loud thud, denting the floor beneath it. The afternoon sun bled in from the hole.

Harkness took aim with his rifle, as did the others. He figured that they might be able to pick the soldiers off as the lowered themselves down one at a time. That was until he saw Butch DeLoria in action. The Enclave agent jumped into the hole with no assistance, falling as fast as gravity would take him. He landed atop the circular section they had carved out, similarly denting it where his feet had made impact. Harkness watched him fall, seeing every detail play out in his analytic android mind. The electrical field generated by the armor prevented him from learning any key details about his opponent by scanning him. He did see that the man had two guns, a sword and a power fist, though. And a… Pip-Boy?

Butch stood up and looked around, casting his yellow eyes around the security personnel. He settled on Harkness, seeing the android's plasma rifle. "Nice gun," Butch said, reaching behind him and taking out his own. The magnets on the back of his armor were discharged, allowing him to take out his multiplas rifle. His was a modified design of the urban plasma rifle, thicker and slightly longer, enhanced to fire three plasma shots per cell. "But mine's bigger."

"Who are you?" Harkness asked.

Butch stepped off the platform and out of the sunlight. "I'm the guy who's going to kill everyone in this room if I don't get exactly what I want."

"I'm only going to tell you this once, then," Harkness warned the power armor-clad figure. "Leave now, and take the rest of your kind with you, or die."

Behind his mask, Butch smiled. He held out his arms as if in surrender. "Well, I'm not leaving. Guess you'll just have to kill me, huh?"

Harkness was trying to learn as much as he could about this person, looking for any kind of weakness. It was clear that he thought himself better than anyone in the room, despite his being outnumbered.

"Take him down!" Harkness shouted.

A torrent of gunfire was unleashed on Butch. Rifles, SMGs and pistols alike were fired upon him, some bullets bouncing off the shell of his power armor and some hitting his flesh in the exposed regions. One ricocheted off of his helmet's bulletproof eyeglass. After thirty seconds of sustained fire, Butch remained standing with his arms held outwards.

It was intimidating, to say the least. Half of the assembled security guards immediately thought about running. Butch basked in their awe and fear, before lowering his arms. Harkness' mind scrambled to try to find an answer for what had just happened. He assembled a number of hypothetical possibilities, but without being able to scan him, he just couldn't be certain.

Then, he saw his opportunity. Butch had bled upon the ground from some of his wounds. Harkness wasted no time in analyzing it, and upon doing so, discovered the truth behind Butch's power: he shared the exact same healing factor as Lloyd. How this was, he was not certain, but he knew that this opponent wouldn't go down to normal fire. Harkness formed a new plan. He laid his weapon on the ground.

"I am Christopher Harkness, chief of security for Rivet City. On behalf of my people, I surrender myself in exchange for their survival."

Butch titled his head slightly and the rest of the security team looked at Harkness like he was crazy. "What makes you so special?"

"Fight me in single combat and I will show you," Harkness said, appealing to the arrogance he knew his opponent possessed. And it worked. Butch seemed amused, and placed his multiplas rifle back upon his back. He held up his power fist.

"You think you can take me, punk?" Butch said, clenching his fist. "I killed a super mutant behemoth yesterday by myself. Took out a bunch of Outcast wimps and killed a hundred Chinamen in Alaska."

Harkness had no idea what that last part meant, chocking it up as just an empty boast. "Just you and me then."

Butch gestured with his fingers. "Come and get me, pretty boy."

Harkess put up his own hands to block his face and assumed a fighter stance. "You're very tough, hiding behind an energy shield and power armor."

"The bigger gun is what wins firefights," Butch said, circling. Harkness mirrored his movements, circling the center of the marketplace.

"Is that all you are? A gun?" Harkness replied, gaining more information with every answer.

"I'm more than a gun," Butch said with a proud smirk. "I'm a tank."

"A tank is still a tool to be used. You let them use you?"

"I ain't nobody's tool," Butch asserted.

"Then turn off your shield and fight me like a man, not a tool," Harkness challenged him.

Butch felt his adrenaline rising. The drugs in his system were clouding his mind, gearing him up to fight. He hadn't beaten something to death with his power fist since yesterday and he was getting itchy to use it. But now, this little man was calling him a tool? A coward? He'd show him how powerful he was. Butch deactivated the tesla coils.

'Gotcha,' Harkness thought as he scanned Butch. He was able to get a complete readout of the power armor and it wasn't prospective for him. It was constructed of lightweight material and had enough gaps to allow for a decent range of mobility. A wide range of functions was built into the suit. It was much more advanced than the Brotherhood's current capabilities, but it had weaknesses. Getting close enough to exploit them, however…

"Come at me," Butch challenged. "I dare you."

Harkness ran straight at the armored figure. 'If I can get him off-balance, I'll make my move and disable him,' the android thought. He leapt up, kicking outwards with both legs with the intent of planting both squarely upon Butch's chest.

At the last moment, Butch re-activated the tesla coils, charging his armor with the electric field. With his second-by-second analytical capability, Harkness saw it coming and knew he couldn't stop his body in motion in the air. Both feet landed on Butch's chest, and a jolt of electricity ran through Harkness, disrupting his higher functions. He fell to the ground, twitching as his brain desperately attempted to reboot and gain control over lost nerve functions. As various subroutines and protocols came back online, Butch knelt over the android and punched at his face with his power fist.

Harkness held up both of his hands, catching the fist and holding it with all of his might versus the strength of the power armor. Harkness' arms shook as Butch pushed against him. When he noticed that Harkness was pushing away, he hypercharged his suit's tesla coils, nearly burning them out. The electromagnetic pulse that surged through Butch's arm and into Harkness caused the android to spasm uncontrollably for a moment, again losing control of his higher functions.

His systems were taking damage and his internal repair weave was desperately attempting to fix the damage done to his body. Harkness had barely any environmental awareness and his heads-up display was erratic and unclear. His fingers, hands, feet and legs were twitching uncontrollably.

Butch stood up to admire his handiwork. He slowly withdrew the shocksword from his hip. He held it upside down in his left hand and positioned its tip right at the center of Harkness' chest.

"You… y-y-you ch-cheated…" Harkness choked out.

"I won," Butch replied, stabbing downwards. The blade pierced the android's black combat armor and went through his chest, stopping when it met the resistance of the steel floor below. Jolts of electricity surged throughout the android, shutting his systems down. His synthetic skin began to char slightly from the overwhelming heat. Butch held it in, relishing the anguish on the android's face.

Then, it was over. Butch stood up and removed the shocksword, admiring the blood on the blade and how it fizzled from its heat. "Not so special after all…" he muttered, before facing the rest of the security team. He walked towards them, watching as they scattered. "Now then. About that surrender…"

"Chief!" one of them called out, looking behind Butch. The power armor-clad vault dweller turned, and to his amazement, saw Harkness standing. Burnt skin in some places, leaking blood from the hole in the chest, twitching occasionally, but standing and alive. What truly unnerved Butch were his eyes; they seemed to glow with a strange turquoise color.

"More spe-spe-special… Than you mi-mi-might have thought, coward-coward-coward," Harkness said, his voice skipping like a broken record.

Butch thought he was merely mocking him more by repeating the word. "I don't know how you're still alive, but I'm done with you!" Butch said, holding up the shocksword. "It's time to die!"

He rapidly closed the distance, chopping downwards with the blade. Harkness put up a single arm in defense, his disabled higher combat routines preventing him from doing much more. Butch's sword connected solidly and sliced cleanly through Harkness' arm, delivering yet another shock to the android's system.

The android fell back, now completely disabled. Butch looked down at the severed arm and saw the wires and mechanical skeleton that his synthetic flesh had kept hidden. As he looked on at the unconscious android, the transceiver in his helmet buzzed to life. "Agent DeLoria? Is the room secure?"

He put his hand up to his helmet, depressing his response button. "Forget this place. I think I just found something much more valuable. I need an extraction unit down here." He turned off his radio and looked at the security team. "Scram!" he shouted. They quickly fled the marketplace as more Enclave troops began to descend from the hole above, lowered by a rope. 'Pansies,' he thought to himself. 'I jumped down.'

He looked down at Harkness once more. 'Well… You might be some kind of robot… but I gave you my word, eh? You for the town. Might've been a fair trade after all…'

* * *

It seemed very much an unfortunate curse that every time they visited Megaton, the Wandering Pair had to move on within a day or so. Ensuring that Russ would be taken care of well, they left the recovering animal in the safe hands of Bryan, but they knew that Moira, Lucas and Billy would keep an eye on Russ as well, as they had with the child. With restocked supplies and a fond farewell to their friends, Lloyd, Amata and Cross departed from the town, heading northeast towards the headquarters of the Regulators.

They took care to avoid too many open stretches of land, namely roads and plains, sticking close to defensible areas in case an Enclave vertibird were to suddenly come upon them with a cargo of troopers. Star Paladin Cross knew best about this manner of tactical movement and took the lead. Both of their Pip-Boys were programmed with the location of the building, which Lucas had informed them resembled a farmhouse. Crossing the Potomac and avoiding the Bethesda Ruins, where long ago Lloyd and Amata had first met the Outcasts, they came to the top of a large hill overlooking the northwestern wastes.

And not far from its base was a farmhouse, enclosed by a wooden fence. Brahmin mulled about the area, the multi-headed bovines enjoying what little grass they could find to chew on. Lloyd checked his Pip-Boy to confirm their position. "That's gotta be it," he told them, looking down on the farmhouse. "Seems a little…Well, I didn't know what to expect, honestly, but it seems like an odd choice for a vigilante hideout."

"Maybe it's bigger on the inside?" Amata suggested. She could tell Lloyd was giving her an incredulous look beneath his helmet. "I meant that perhaps it has a basement or something, Lloyd."

"We shall see soon enough," Cross said, holding up her super sledge. She motioned for them to take the lead.

Lloyd lead the way down the hill. About halfway, he paused. "What is it?" Amata asked.

"Thought I saw something…" he said, looking at a pile of rubble nearby. He slowly approached it and drew out his laser rifle, looking around the area. After a moment, he turned back to them. "Guess it was nothing."

The dirt and rubble seemed to erupt as a massive radscorpion emerged from the refuse, reaching out with its two claws, each grabbing one of his legs. It pulled him backwards, forcing him down onto the ground as it dragged him into a hole. "Lloyd!" Amata cried in fear, equipping her assault rifle and running to the edge of the hole.

"Go to him," Cross said, looking to her right. "I will stall this one."

Amata looked and saw that Cross was facing another radscorpion. Both this one and the one that had attacked Lloyd were as large as a fully-grown adult. Cross picked up her super sledge and charged at it as Amata leapt into the hole, finding only darkness beyond the light from above. It was a cave of some kind, with bits of flesh and bone scattered around. "Lloyd?" she called out, activating the light on the side of her helmet. She scanned around, peering into the shadows.

A series of three bright red flashes from behind a column of stone told her where he was. She ran over to find him standing up, reloading his laser rifle alongside the smoking corpse of the radscorpion. "I'm alright," he assured her. "Just got the drop on me, is all."

Amata let out a sigh of relief. "I was frightened for a moment, Lloyd."

"I bet Russ could've sniffed these things out from a mile away," he said, looking down at the arachnid husk. "Is Cross alright?"

"Probably wiping radscorpion off of her hammer right now," Amata joked. "Let's get out of here."

"You don't have to tell me twi—" he stopped himself short when he looked into the darkness of the recesses of the cavern, discovering a collection of red eyes peering back at him. Amata turned, and the light from her helmet shone upon a massive albino radscorpion uncurling itself from the wall. Its body alone was easily the size of a car, and upon its back were a brood of young, bright-white radscorpions. Its milky-white carapace glinted from Amata's light, and the mandibles around its mouth chattered with what they could only assume was anticipation.

As it unfolded, its claws came to rest in front of it, pointing at both of them. Its tail curled up, the stinger as large as Lloyd's head. Now, the beast was still, looking at them with its sinister, mutated eyes. Their grips on their weapons were tight as they both slowly backed away. The albino monstrosity lifted itself off of the ground with its eight legs. Its young slowly scrambled around its backside, clinging to their mother. The sight was horrifying, to say the least. Like so much of the Capital Wasteland's wild inhabitants, this creature showed the devastating power of mutation and radiation, a sick, twisted parody of the former, much smaller form of the species.

It was a predator, an apex hunter, and now its sight was upon them. Lloyd wondered if they had just killed one of its older children.

Then, it happened. Amata tripped over a rock as she was backing up. Surrounded in darkness once more, its most useful domain, the albino radscorpion advanced, scooping Amata's armored form up in one of its claws, causing her to drop her weapon. Lloyd immediately lit up the area with blast after blast of his laser rifle, with each nine-beam burst casting the area in a swathe of red light. Enough of his blasts hit their mark true, but did not seem to do much damage to its white hide. He did manage to burn two of its children, who fell to the ground, half of their bodies now ash.

Amata found herself being lifted up. She looked down with her helmet's light, directly into the face of the beast. Her assault rifle lay just a few feet out of reach. Feeling the tight pinchers of the radscorpion's claw around her midsection start to tighten, and knowing that, likely, her armor was the only thing keeping her from being snapped in half, she grunted as she struggled to draw her sword from its usual place on her hip. She looked up, seeing the tail of the radscorpion coil backwards and fly in her direction.

She desperately swung her sword upwards in defense, cleaving the stinger clean from the tail. In pained response, the radscorpion dropped dropped her and retreated backwards a few paces, its tail swinging around. And still, unrelenting was Lloyd's barrage, continually pegging away at the armor of the mutated beast, burning and charring patches of its white hide. Forcing it backwards with his assault, he brazenly moved closer to it, allowing his arcing fire to be even more concentrated. The albino radscorpion, now moving on seven legs due to Lloyd blasting one off, quickly closed the gap between them and swiped at him with the backside of its claw, which sent him sprawling to the ground.

And Amata was there yet again, on her feet and sword in hand, striking at the monster's side. But the final blow came from an unexpected direction, as Star Paladin Cross leapt across the room, bringing her hammer straight down in a powerful swing, letting gravity and her own might carry it squarely upon the head of the radscorpion, caving it in. One blow from the ARM was all it took, and the radscorpion fell to the ground dead. Its milky brood scattered, abandoning their dead mother's corpse.

"Lloyd, Amata. Are you well enough to walk?" she asked, looking between them. Amata walked over and helped Lloyd up to his feet.

"I'm alright," Lloyd said, picking up his weapon. Amata gestured that she too was fine, and went to retrieve her weapon. She discovered it next to the severed stinger of the albino, surprised at her own strength and the edge of her sword.

"Let us go from this place," Cross urged, looking around. "And seal it behind us."

"No argument," Lloyd said, quickly hurrying with the two women back to the entrance. They helped each other climb out. Lloyd took out three landmines from his pack, placing them around the hole, arming only one of them.

"That should stop anything from going in or coming out without getting a nasty surprise and blowing the cave shut," he said, standing back to admire his handiwork. He turned and looked, seeing the farmhouse nearby. "Now let's do what we came here to do."

The three of them approached the rather ramshackle-looking farmhouse. Lloyd knocked on the door a few times, stepping back. After a moment, a small slit on the door opened up, and they saw a pair of eyes on the other side. The man observed them before speaking. "Brotherhood?"

"We are," Lloyd replied, "We were sent here by Lucas Simms of Megaton."

The man seemed to consider his words. "Megaton is besieged by the Enclave."

"Haven't gotten the news yet?" Lloyd asked. "We liberated it with the Lyons' Pride. I am Lloyd Freeman, and my companions are Amata Almodovar and Star Paladin Cross."

"The Wandering Pair?" The slit shut and the door opened, revealing a man with a handlebar mustache and a duster overcoat, much like Lucas' own. "We've been told to expect you. You're a bit overdue."

"Overdue?" Lloyd asked.

"We received a letter from Lucas about you some time ago. Sonora had hoped you would come sooner rather than later, but clearly, you've been busy. Come in."

He stood aside, ushering them inside and closing the door behind them. The interior of the farmhouse was dark, lit only by a few lamps and candles. Regulators turned to note their entrance. Like gunslingers of old, they wore dusters and carried weapons belted at the hips or slung upon their backs.

"Sonora is in the basement. She'll be happy to hear that you've come," the regulator said, walking to the floor. He picked up a chain and hoisted it upwards, revealing a trap door that led to a stone staircase.

Amata nudged Lloyd in the ribs. "Told you," she whispered.

They descended in silence, following them man and flanked by two other regulators. He opened a set of wooden doors and they found themselves in a stone bunker with tapestries and rugs decorating the floors and walls. One of them was a large blanket with the pattern of two revolvers crossed over each other like an X, and another was a pre-war American flag. A massive wooden table dominated the center of the room, with a chandelier hanging over it containing lit candles. Upon the table was scrawled a fairly detailed map of the Capital Wasteland, apparently carved by knives. Two large weapons cabinets were in the room, stocked with hunting rifles, shotguns and snipers.

At the head of the table on the opposite side of the room sat a lone woman with her feet up on the table, her face hidden by a cowboy hat and a revolver spinning lazily, yet masterfully given how much control she had over it, at the end of a finger. An open bottle of whiskey and a glass was on the table next to a knife imbedded in the wood.

She looked up, squinting a little. "Brotherhood knights?" she asked the regulator who had greeted them at the door.

"The Wandering Pair," the man corrected. The woman they assumed was Sonora stood up, tipping her hat back. Lloyd and Amata both removed their helmets, allowing her to see them and so that they could speak more freely.

"I'll be damned…" She smiled and walked around the table to properly greet them. "I've heard so much about you two that I thought you'd be walkin' around with halos an' angel wings. Just power armor, eh? Next best thing, I suppose."

"Sonora Cruz?" Amata asked. The woman nodded.

"Leader of the Regulators and damned pleased to make your acquaintance. Lucas' letter and Three Dog's stories about you two have taken care of the interview process. You've proven that you're more than Regulator material." As they were about to reply, she continued. "But don't worry, you don't need to wear the duster or anything. As long as you continue bringing justice to the wasteland, you're a Regulator at heart."

"Thanks, I think," Lloyd said, looking at the table. It had areas designated as settlements, with notes written next to them. "Quite the map you've got here," he said, looking at the circle labeled "Megaton." Next to it was a scratched note that read, "Lucas Simms."

Sonora walked around the table. "We've had a long time to explore the Capital Wasteland. The map helps us keep track of the hives of scum and villainy."

"You can add Project Purity at the Jefferson Memorial to that list, then," Lloyd said. "It's under Enclave control."

"So I understand," Sonora replied, sitting back in her chair. "Perhaps you could bring me up to speed on the situation—if you don't mind, that is."

"Not at all," Lloyd said as he took a seat. "But it's a bit of a story."

* * *

Lucy ran up to Lana, who was organizing the security force into defensive patrols around the lower levels of Rivet City. "Are the people safely hidden below?" Lana asked the young woman.

Sweating and out of breath from running and worry, Lucy nodded. "They are," she panted. "Where's Christopher? Is he alright?"

Lana's distant eyes and pained expression told Lucy more than she needed to know. "Lucy… I'm sorry, but…"

"Is he alive?" she asked, holding the woman by the arms. "Please, tell me he's alive…"

"My men saw them take him alive after one of them beat him into unconsciousness. They said… they said that he bargained himself for the entire town."

Lucy's eyes went wide. "That's… They have his body? Oh no…" Her mind reeled at the grim possibilities behind what the Enclave would do to an android like Harkness. "This is horrible… We need to get him back!"

"Lucy!" Lana snapped her out of her fright. "We don't have the manpower or resources to mount a rescue operation. We need to focus on lasting as long as possible. That's what Harkness wanted."

"You don't understand," Lucy tried to explain. "Christopher, he's… He's… You don't know what they'll do to him!"

Lana's expression was sorrowful. "Lucy… I know something we might be able to do."

"Anything!"

"Before we went dark, I heard a report on the radio from Three Dog. Lloyd and Amata are alive. They joined the Brotherhood of Steel and just freed Megaton from the Enclave." Lucy's breath slowed as she took in the news of her friends being alive, and possibly stronger than ever. "Lucy, if there's anyone in the Capital Wasteland who can save Rivet City, or rescue Harkness… it's the Wandering Pair."

"I'll go find them," Lucy suggested, excitement and hope returning to her. "I'll go and bring them back. You stay here and keep the people safe."

"You'll need armor and protection," Lana said, handing Lucy her shotgun. "Take this. Grab a security uniform from the barracks. You'll need it. And take a bottle of Rad-X too, because with the bridge down, there's only one other way out of Rivet City, I'm afraid."

Lucy realized her meaning. "The river," she said aloud. It didn't matter. Her resolve was strong and unwavering. Now, she had hope, and a plan. The radiation wouldn't matter to her so long as she had a slim chance of saving the life of the man she loved. She looked Lana in the eyes and said, "I'll come back for everyone."

"We'll be here," Lana swore as Lucy took off towards the barracks. The woman watched her go. 'I hope we will…'

* * *

"You certainly weren't exaggerating," Sonora said, pouring herself a glass of whiskey. "That's one hell of a story. I'm sorry again for your losses."

"We came here today to ask for your help, Sonora," Amata spoke up. "The Enclave aren't raiders or slavers, but they are criminals. They've stolen Project Purity, murdered innocent people and violated the basic rights of the people of our vault."

"I agree with you completely. The state of our world is no excuse for the brutality they've displayed. There are better ways of doing things. Lyons' Brotherhood is proof of that. The fact that the Enclave would use their technology to enforce their will upon others, rather than using it for their benefit, sickens me."

Lloyd sighed. "If they activate Project Purity, then all hope is lost. No matter how oppressive they are, the people will flock to the only source of clean water in the wasteland. The Enclave will control trade, and through it, the people. They can extort them and get them to fall in line any way they want."

"What's stopping them from turning it on?" Sonora asked.

"They don't know the secret. We do," Amata told her. "And once we have the 'key' to turning it on, we'll need to take Project Purity back from the Enclave."

"And that's why we've come here today," Lloyd interjected. "We need to know who we can ask for help when the time comes."

Sonora set her glass down. "Well. It's not every day that someone wearing power armor wanders in and asks you to go to war against an army of megalomaniacal, fanatic, technologically-superior super soldiers. It's a bit daunting, you understand."

"We might be able to work something out with the Brotherhood," Lloyd suggested. "Better equipment for you and your people…"

"If you don't mind my asking, what did Lucas say about us joining your cause?"

Lloyd tapped his finger on the table. "He said you wouldn't, or shouldn't, given your preferred operating style."

"He's got a point there," she agreed. "We usually deal with singular threats. Murderers, cutthroats or slavers. We bring justice to the wasteland with our guns, but the Enclave has bullet-proof armor and energy weapons. It's a bit outside of our league."

"They're not invulnerable," Lloyd asserted.

"I don't doubt it. It's their numbers that worry me."

Lloyd stood. "That's why we need as much help as possible. It's the only way we're going to win this fight and save the wasteland. So, I ask you, please, will you help us?"

Amata and Cross both looked between Lloyd and Cruz, waiting for her response. Around the room, a small collection of regulators had gathered, intently listening to the conversation. They knew that their role in the future conflict hinged on this moment.

"You make a hell of a case, kid. It's entirely within our right to avoid a fight we have nothing to do with. But at the same time, if the Enclave becomes the dominant power in the region, we'd either find ourselves working for them, or fighting against them by ourselves, and both options would see the absolute destruction of us or everything we value. Therefore," she said, standing to approach Lloyd. She looked up into his eyes and reached out with her hand as she finished, "our only option as good and noble people is to stand by you and fight this evil, to sever its head before it grows too powerful."

Lloyd took hold of her hand with a smile. "I'm honored to have you and your people by my side, Sonora. If there's anything we can do to repay this, I'll do everything I can to make it happen."

"There is, actually," Sonora said, looking down at the wooden table. "Here," she pointed at Canterbury Commons, not far to the east of their headquarters. "Ever been?" Lloyd shook his head.

"We've only heard of it before," Lloyd told her.

"Well, it's a major trade hub. All the caravans pass through it and Uncle Roe manages their operation, in a way. And for the past few weeks, it's had a recurring problem that we haven't been able to solve, and now the Enclave has taken an interest in the matter as well." Having gained their attention, Sonora elaborated. "There's a few… interesting people that live there, let's put it that way. They dress up in costumes and do battle."

Lloyd blinked a few times. "You serious?" he asked incredulously.

"One of them dresses up like a robot. The other like a giant ant. They command small groups of machines and insects, respectively."

Now, it was Amata's turn to deadpan, "You can't be serious, can you?"

"As ridiculous as it sounds, they've brought a lot of commotion to the town and a high degree of unwanted attention, namely, the Enclave. The Enclave thinks that by putting the two of them down and stopping the parade, they can win the hearts of the local populace."

"But why do they do it in the first place?" Lloyd asked. "Is it… some kind of sex thing?"

"God, I hope not," Sonora said, taking off her hat and running her hand through her hair. "That would be too much to handle, I think. They seem to acting out some kind of fantasy; the woman in the ant costume wants to take over the world and the man in the robot costume wants to play hero and stop her. From what I've been told by Uncle Roe, it's only gotten worse and their 'battles' are actually putting people in danger. They nearly burned a building down with two children hiding inside."

Lloyd scratched the back of his neck. "So… you want us to put a stop to it?"

"Yes, please. I haven't been able to contact Ernest for some time now, and I've gotten worried. I haven't sent any regulators to the town since the Enclave started showing up."

"Can we have your radio frequency?" Amata asked. Sonora nodded and gestured at one of her people to get with the female vault dweller to give her the code.

"We'll see what we can do," Lloyd said, putting his helmet back on. "It was a pleasure meeting and speaking with you, Sonora. I hope we can do it again, under better circumstances."

"I would as well. Good luck to the three of you, and may you continue to find favor from the wasteland."

Not long after, they departed from the Regulators, heading east towards Canterbury Commons, to finally put an end to this "super hero" situation, mentally preparing themselves for the oddity of the situation they were about to get involved with. The scene they happened upon, however, was infinitely beyond their wildest expectations.

A Mr. Handy robot set fire to a giant ant as it tore the head off of a protectron. Nearby, two ants were attacking a sentry bot, each with their jaws pulling on a different arm. All up and down the square, robots and giant ants squared away with each other, jaws pinching and lasers flying.

Amata looked over at Lloyd. "So… which do we root for?" she asked. Lloyd shrugged, uncertain of what he was even looking at. Then, he saw the ringleaders of this circus.

Atop the roof, holding aloft the severed head of a protectron was a woman dressed up like an ant. Her carapace armor glinted in the dull evening sun, as did the large yellow eyes of her mask. She laughed maniacally, like no sane person would laugh, exaggerated and full of malevolent glee. Across the street on ground level appeared her nemesis, shaking his fist up at her.

"You vile witch! I knew it was only a matter of time before you betrayed the oath we took! Then again, perhaps I was the greater fool for believing for a mere moment that you could even be trusted with such a thing to begin with!"

"Indeed you are a fool!" she proclaimed, kicking the robot's head off the roof like a ball. "Now, this town will belong to me, and its people shall bow to me as their master!"

"You think you can withstand the forces of the Enclave alone? You fool! They will cut through your ants like a hot knife through InstaMash! Only my robots can withstand their power and repel them! But now, the time has come once more to put you down! Not just for the people of this town, but for all of the world!"

"Never, you misguided, idealistic tool! You're as intelligent as the machines you take care of!"

"And you're as attractive as the ants you command!"

She stomped her foot in anger. "You… insolent… Nobody insults the AntAgonizer like that!"

"Alright, stop!" Lloyd shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice amplified by his helmet. He looked up at the surprised woman. "Are you serious?" Then, at the man in the robot costume. "And you… are you serious?"

The AntAgonizer put her hands on her hips. "And what do we have here? More pawns for the Mechanist to—"

Lloyd cut her off. "No, you shut up right now. You are not allowed to stand there wearing that costume and act like you are in any way justified in having a conversation with me until you acknowledge that you stole this entire act from a comic book."

All around them, the ants stopped, apparently sharing her shock and surprise. The Mechanist quickly rallied his machines back to his side, now intensely curious at the stanger's words.

"Lloyd? What are you talking about?" Amata asked.

"Remember Grognak the Barbarian? Issue #23? The Ants of Agony?"

Amata searched her brain. It had been a long time since she had read any of those comics, way back in her childhood in the vault. "Vaguely…"

"This entire thing, this entire gimmick," he said, looking back up to her, "the way she talks, the way she dresses… it's from Grognak! I thought that a woman who dresses up like an ant and commands giant ants sounded familiar!"

The AntAgonizer put a hand up to her quivering lip. "I… I… how? How could you possibly know about that?"

"I read all the issues when I was a kid," Lloyd explained. "In retrospect, I didn't really like the series after Neptura took over from Moorellis. The whole thing just got kind of silly afterwards. But you… you're straight from the comic book. I mean, it's downright exact. It didn't click until I saw you doing your whole act, but I mean, wow, it's down to the letter."

The woman seemed at a complete loss for words. "When I found that comic… it explained so much about me… My parents death, the ants, my communication with them… it was like a destiny unfolded before my eyes, in such vibrant colors…"

"Ma'am, if I may," Lloyd held up his hand, "you can't live your life from a comic book. This is the real world, with real consequences. Do you, do both of you?" he looked over at the Mechanist. "Do either of you realize what you've done here? Your little bouts have attracted the Enclave to this town and endangered innocent people. Is that what you want?"

The Mechanist looked around. "Well, no, but… that is to say…"

Lloyd interrupted him. "Let me stop you right there: you're dressed up like a robot, sir. You're wearing a bucket with yellow eyes on your head. Is that rubber tubing on your arms?"

He looked at his hands. "It… has a protective interlaced mesh of—"

"This is power armor," Lloyd said, pointing at the armor that he, Amata and Cross wore. "This is actual armor that serves a purpose. And your armor," he looked up at the AntAgonizer. "while I'm impressed that you actually managed to build it to such detail, have the two of you never just stopped and thought to yourselves about how crazy this all is?"

The two 'superhumans' looked at each other with equal parts embarrassment and shame. "I… I was only trying to help people…" the Mechanist said.

"And do you honestly think that dressing up like a robot and spouting cliché dialog is going to do that? Look, you build machines, I can see that. Do you have any idea how many people in the wasteland can benefit from that? Hell, the Brotherhood has a giant robot the size of a building that they can't even get working. Did you ever think of applying to help them?"

"Well… no…"

"Exactly. And I don't know what your deal is," he looked back at the AntAgonizer, "but do you actually control these ants?"

"Yes… through a combination of mind control and ant queen pheromones…" she admitted.

"That's amazing!" Lloyd proclaimed, throwing his arms out as if it were obvious. "Do you know how many innocent people are terrorized by ants that you could stop with this power? We've taken custody of a little boy whose father was killed by giant ants! Fire-breathing ones, but giant ants nonetheless."

The AntAgonizer shook her head slowly. "And… and why would I agree to stop? What has the world ever given me but pain and sorrow? The ants are the nobler species! They took me in when no one else would! Who else would understand my connection with ants?"

Lloyd paused, deep in thought. "You know… I happen to know a scientist who exclusively studies ants. He's had a lot of trouble keeping them under control, though. You would be the perfect assistant for him!"

"Really?" she asked. "I… You would ask me to simply stop, and you'd let me walk away?"

"So long as you promise to never emulate one-dimensional comicbook villains ever again, yes. And as for you," he pointed at the Mechanist, "you need to stop unleashing an army of robots in this town. Look around you for a moment."

He did so, noticing another building on fire. "Oh… well, I…" He sighed, slumping his shoulders. He reached up, taking off his mask and holding it in front of him. "What am I even doing… This is ridiculous. How did I ever think this would actually be for the better? I… I can't show my face around here ever again… Oh, god, I'm so ashamed…"

At that moment, a little boy ran up, breaking away from the arms of the adults holding him. "Scott! Don't be sorry, you were so cool! You don't have to stop! I mean, things get broke, yeah, but… it's really super cool!"

The Mechanist, apparently named Scott, shook his head. "No, Derek. I can't keep doing this. I just… This is silly. I could be doing actual work and helping people and instead I've become enamored with saving the world from a woman with even more issues than me."

"Hey!" she called down, taking off her own mask, letting her dirty blonde hair free. "I'm right here, you know! But… you are right…"

"I think what you both need is a nice, long, permanent break from superheroism and supervillainy, and costumes in general," Lloyd suggested. "Mr. Scott, was it?"

"Scott Wollinski," he introduced himself.

"Lloyd Freeman. Listen, you need to dedicate yourself to a higher calling than playing dress-up. I wasn't joking earlier—have you ever considered joining the Brotherhood of Steel? I know they'd love to have someone good with machines on their side."

The man was silent. "You… mentioned a giant robot?"

"The biggest I've ever seen in my life," Lloyd said. "As big as a super mutant behemoth."

"No way!" Derek said with stars in his eyes. "What's it called? A super-humongous-bot?"

"Liberty Prime," Lloyd told the child. "Think about it, won't you?"

Scott nodded. "I will…"

The AntAgonizer quickly scaled down the side of the building, using ledges and cracks as footholds. "But what about me?" she asked. "I can't ever show my face around here again! Now that everyone knows that it all came from some pre-war storybook…"

"I wasn't joking about what I said to you either," Lloyd told her. "There's a man, a Dr. Weston… uh…"

"Lesko," Amata said distastefully, remembering her foul opinion of the scientist.

"Right! Dr. Weston Lesko. He's studying ants in Grayditch, trying to find a way to return them to their natural, small state. He ran into a bit of a bump in the road when he gave them the ability to breathe fire, however…"

"Killed a bunch of people… Bryan's father…" Amata muttered.

"I'm confident that the two of you would be able to help each other. You with his research and he with your… social skills, perhaps. I get the feeling you haven't been around too many people in your life."

"Do… do you really think so?" she asked.

"You'll never know if you don't try," Lloyd replied. "Look… Whatever happened to you, it's not worth turning into a supervillain over. We've all experienced tragedy. It's what you do with those experiences, how you shape them into purpose, that defines you. Do you want to be remembered as a woman who dressed up like an ant and tried to conquer the world?"

She lowered her eyes. "No…"

"There's always a better way of doing things," Amata said, approaching the girl. "We've lost our fathers to the Enclave. We're using that pain to keep us going, to drive us. You don't need to let it dominate you and turn you into something you're not."

"Thank you…" she said, looking up. "My name… My name is Tanya."

"That's a lovely name," Amata said with a smile.

"I… I've made some big mistakes… I need to go."

"Try Grayditch out," Lloyd suggested again. "Tell him that we sent you."

"O-okay," she said. "I… I think I will. Thank you. You're the first people who ever… tried to talk to me."

"Well, that might have had something to do with the giant ants," Amata pointed out. "But we've dealt with worse. Right Lloyd?"

Lloyd recalled his battle with the massive, school bus-sized ant at the culmination of their time in Grayditch. "Oh yeah."

With a final thank you, Tanya ran away from them, leaving the town behind her. Her ants followed after her. As she did, a man from the town ran out to greet Lloyd and Amata, introducing himself as Ernest "Uncle" Roe. They explained how they were sent here by the Regulators, much to Roe's delight and praise. Amata radioed back to the Regulator Headquarters their success in dealing with the so-called superhumans. Sonora was pleased and surprised by how quickly they had managed to deal with the situation.

As Lloyd was shaking Roe's hand, his helmet beeped with a transmission. Both he, Amata and Cross received the communication from the Citadel. "Star Paladin Cross, Knight Freeman, Knight Almodovar. The scribes have discovered a reference in the Vault-Tec computers detailing the location of Vault-Tec's regional headquarters in the northern D.C. ruins. Elder Lyons has ordered you to investigate it for clues leading to your objective."

'The G.E.C.K.' Lloyd thought.

"Coordinates are as follows… Zero-Two-Zero-Two-Zero-Five by Zero-Six-Zero-Five-Zero-Six. Do you copy, over?"

Star Paladin Cross spoke, "This is Star Paladin Cross, we copy clearly, Zero-Two-Zero-Two-Zero-Five by Zero-Six-Zero-Five-Zero-Six, over."

"That's a clean copy, Star Paladin Cross. Citadel Out."

Lloyd quickly typed in the grid coordinates into his Pip-Boy. After doing so, he discovered that it was only a short distance south of Canterbury Commons, about half a day's walk. "We could reach it by nightfall if we hurried," he suggested. Amata checked her own Pip-Boy with the coordinates and agreed.

"Then let us waste no time," Cross urged. "The sooner we find what we seek, the sooner the Enclave will fall."

"You're not going to stay for supper?" Uncle Roe asked.

"Tempting, but we'll manage," Lloyd said to the man. "If the Enclave returns in our absence, try to hide or evacuate."

"We will. There's a sewer system underneath the town that the people can hide in." He turned to Scott Wollinski. "Scott… Listen, before you go…"

"I know, I know…" the man said. "I need to answer for what I did. I'm sorry, Ernest, I—"

Ernest cut him off. "No, no, I just need you to fix my radio."

Scott seemed surprised, but not unpleasantly so. "Oh… Well, alright." The two of them walked off, with Derek skipping alongside Scott, now wearing the Mechanist's helmet and pretending to fight supervillains. They found the sight rather cute.

Without another word, only a shared look to confirm each other's readiness, they left the town, headed directly south towards Vault-Tec's headquarters.

* * *

Outside the beached wreck of Rivet City, the murky green water of the Potomac River belched forth onto its bank the gasping form of Lucy West. She got up, spitting out some of the foul-tasting water she had accidentally let into her mouth. She gasped as she caught her breath, crawling up the sandy, rocky shore. She looked behind her, up at the massive, rusted aircraft carrier.

'I'll find Lloyd and Amata… and then… we're coming for you, Christopher.' She picked herself up, wiping the water from her armor and her shotgun and shaking out her hair. 'No time to lose,' she thought as she took off running. The people of Rivet City, and Harkness, depended on her.

She hoped, wherever he was, that he was alright.

Because if he wasn't, there was going to be hell to pay. Lucy was going to make sure of it. 'I lost my brother. I'm not losing you too, Christopher. I'm not losing you too.'

* * *

Deep in the halls of Raven Rock, upon a large operating table, the dissected form of Harkness lay, strapped down, with wires running out of him, his entire midsection cut open and exposed. His metal chassis, covered in dried blood, reflected off of the lights shown down upon him. His thigh, skull and arm all had large amount of the skin cut away, exposing the delicate network of machinery and wires they masked.

"Marvelous…" the lead Enclave scientist said as he used a scalpel to slice through the synthetic flesh of the palm of the arm that Butch had cut off earlier. "It's mind-boggling to think that anyone outside of this place has the technology, the resources, to do something like this… A false man… a true android…"

From the nearby wall, a bright blue mechanical eye watched the progress of the dissection very keenly. Through it, President Eden was able to see everything. The speaker below the eye blared forth his voice. "Doctor, this android is clearly a remnant of pre-war times. The thought that someone could manufacture this now is laughable. But more importantly, have any of our initial theories been disproven?"

"Mr. President, they have not. Our probing of the android's brain has, if anything, made us only more confident of our capacity to override it."

"And you mentioned that the android is possessed of an internal self-repair function?"

"That is correct, Mr. President."

"Excellent. I want you to reassemble the android as it was exactly before it was disabled."

"But Mr. President, if we do not completely dissemble the android, how will we replicate it?"

"In good time, Doctor. In good time. But for now, this android will serve a different purpose. Reassemble it, let it heal, but keep it comatose."

"Yes, Mr. President," the doctor said, before he and his staff went about resealing the synthetic flesh of the specimen. John Henry Eden watched with great anticipation, hardly containing his own excitement.

At last, he would have a body of his own.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review or continue; preferably both.**


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